Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Supreme Court has granted a cassation lawsuit filed by Subhan Palal regarding the high school equivalence certificate belonging to Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The cassation ruling was issued under Decision Number 742 K/TUN/2026 on Friday, October 30, 2026.
According to data listed on the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) Case Tracking Information System, the ruling not only granted the cassation appeal but also indicated that the Supreme Court fully accepted the plaintiff's lawsuit.
In his initial PTUN lawsuit, Subhan sued the Ministry of Education and Culture over Decree Letter Number 9149/D.D1/KS/2019 concerning diploma equivalence in the name of Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The certificate was issued by the Directorate General of Primary and Secondary Education on August 6, 2019.
In his petition, Subhan asked the court to declare the former Solo Mayor's equivalence certificate null and void. He further requested that the document be revoked from the holder and destroyed.
Subhan Palal confirmed the Supreme Court's cassation ruling when contacted. He stated that he received notification through the e-court platform regarding his cassation lawsuit over Gibran's diploma. "Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). I received the notice at 2:00 p.m., though I do not yet have an official copy of the decision," he said on Friday, October 30, 2026.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court spokesperson Yanto did not respond to verification requests sent to his WhatsApp number. Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti and Ministry Secretary-General Suharti also did not reply to messages regarding the court decision invalidating Gibran's certificate.
In a separate statement, legal scholar Denny Indrayana noted that the Supreme Court's ruling aligns with a Constitutional Court decision delivered in early October. "This shows the Supreme Court stands in line with the Constitutional Court's stance that Gibran fails to meet the legal educational requirements," said the former Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights.
In that earlier ruling, constitutional justices stated they found no convincing evidence demonstrating that Gibran holds an educational qualification equivalent to a senior high school diploma. However, the Constitutional Court stated it could not annul or disqualify Gibran from his vice-presidential office as sought by the petitioners.
The Constitutional Court reasoned that the issue raised by the petitioners could no longer be substantively categorized within the dispute framework of presidential and vice-presidential election results (PHPU), given that Gibran Rakabuming Raka was no longer a vice-presidential candidate.
His candidate status officially concluded when the elected leadership took the oath of office as Vice President on October 20, 2024, which marked the formal end of the 2024 general election stages.
Consequently, the Constitutional Court ruled that matters concerning the absence of a foreign diploma used to satisfy the minimum high school graduation threshold fall under the jurisdiction of the state institutions authorized to evaluate candidacy requirements under the 1945 Constitution.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2122681/supreme-court-rules-vp-gibrans-school-certificate-voi