Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Activists from the Indonesia Legal Roundtable (ILR) are planning to challenge the legality of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision to appoint former law and justice minister Patrialis Akbar as a Constitutional Court justice.

The activists claimed Patrialis' surprising appointment was illegal as it was taken without a transparent and accountable selection process, as stipulated in the 2011 Constitutional Court Law.

They said they would soon submit a legal challenge to the presidential decree on Patrialis' appointment, signed by Yudhoyono on July 22, at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN).

The President is expected to postpone Patrialis' inauguration pending the issuance of the PTUN ruling. However, media reports said that Patrialis would likely be installed as soon as August 13 or just a few days after the Idul Fitri holiday.

The activists have questioned the President's move to speed up the inauguration, saying that it could be an attempt to slip in Patrialis' appointment as people were busy celebrating Idul Fitri, according to Erwin Natosmal of the ILR.

Wahyudi Djafar of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam) said the appointment of Patrialis could undermine the court's legitimacy as guardian of the Constitution.

"It will hamper its credibility as the sole institution tasked with guarding the Constitution as the appointment is legally flawed," he said. (ebf)