The Problem of Constitutional Questions in the Practice of Judicial Power in Indonesia
Abstract
The constitutional question mechanism has been implemented in various countries with established constitutional justice systems. However, Indonesia's constitutional system has not yet incorporated this mechanism into the authority of the Constitutional Court. Consequently, judges in the general, religious, military, and administrative courts do not have the authority to refer constitutional questions to the Constitutional Court when they encounter doubts regarding the constitutionality of a legal norm that must be applied in a concrete case. This study aims to analyze the problems surrounding the constitutional question in the practice of judicial power in Indonesia, identify the factors underlying the non-implementation of this mechanism, and formulate an ideal concept for its institutionalization within Indonesia's constitutional justice system. This study employs normative legal research using statutory, conceptual, case, and comparative approaches. Legal materials were obtained through library research, including legislation, Constitutional Court decisions, books, and relevant scientific journals, and were subsequently analyzed qualitatively using legal interpretation methods.
The results show that the non-implementation of the constitutional question mechanism is primarily attributable to the limitations of Article 24C of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and the Constitutional Court Law, which currently regulate judicial review based on applications submitted by parties possessing legal standing. This condition creates a gap in the mechanism through which judges can obtain constitutional assessment before applying a legal norm in a concrete case, potentially weakening the protection of citizens' constitutional rights and creating legal uncertainty. In addition, the absence of procedural regulations governing the constitutional question mechanism and the lack of an established functional relationship between the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court constitute significant obstacles to its implementation. This study concludes that the institutionalization of the constitutional question can be achieved through amendments to the Constitutional Court Law by incorporating it as part of the constitutional review mechanism already exercised by the Constitutional Court, without requiring an amendment to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. The institutionalization of this mechanism is expected to strengthen constitutional supremacy, enhance legal certainty, promote consistency in judicial decisions, and provide more effective protection of citizens' constitutional rights.
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