The Supreme Court (MA) has formed a selection committee to find a replacement for Constitutional Court Justice Anwar Usman, who will retire at the end of 2026. MA Chief Justice Sunarto emphasized the need for a balance of knowledge and faith in prospective judges. The selection process involves various community figures and academics.
Jakarta – The Supreme Court (MA) has officially formed a selection committee (pansel) to screen candidates to replace Constitutional Court Justice Anwar Usman, who will enter retirement at the end of 2026. This was announced by MA Chief Justice Sunarto during a statement at the MA Building in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Sunarto said the formation document for the pansel was signed by him about two months ago. The committee is chaired by Deputy Chief Justice for Judicial Affairs Suharto and includes technocrats, community leaders, and academics from various universities. The goal is to find the best constitutional court justice who balances knowledge and faith.
"Knowledge without faith, as the wise say, is like a lamp in the hand of a thief, but faith alone without knowledge is like a lamp in the hand of a baby," Sunarto stated, illustrating the risks if one aspect is lacking. He added that the process is underway and is expected to yield the best candidates from MA's top talents.
Anwar Usman, nominated by the MA, was born in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, on December 31, 1956. He is currently 69 years old. His retirement is based on Article 23 paragraph (1) letter c of Law Number 7 of 2020 on the Constitutional Court, which mandates honorable dismissal at age 70.
This step demonstrates the MA's commitment to maintaining the quality of constitutional justice in Indonesia.
