Suryono, also spelled ''Soerjono'', was the ninth
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia
The chief justice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia () is the head of the Supreme Court of Indonesia.
Election process
The chief justice and his or her deputy is elected by the Supreme Court justices from among the members of the court. Sometimes ...
. The reputation of the Supreme Court among legal scholars suffered under his tenure due to Suryono's tendency to reverse seemingly final decisions via what were derisively termed "magic memos,"
[David Bourchier, "Politics of Law in Contemporary Indonesia." Taken fro]
Law, Capitalism and Power in Asia: The Rule of Law and Legal Institutions
pg. 246. Ed. Kanishka Jayasuriya. Abingdon-on-Thames
Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Thames in the Vale of the White Horse district of Oxfordshire, England. The Historic counties of England, historic county town of Berksh ...
: Routledge
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, 2006. and he was generally regarded as a candidate who would maintain the Supreme Court's subordination to the executive branch. He overturned an administrative court ruling that had lifted a
New Order-era ban on
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
, a popular political commentary magazine.
[
Suryono fell into heavy conflict with former Supreme Court justice and ]Trisakti University
Universitas Trisakti (Usakti, Trisakti) is Indonesia's largest private university located in Jakarta, Indonesia. Universitas Trisakti, is the only private university in Indonesia which was established by the Government of the Republic of Indones ...
Dean of Law, Adi Andojo. In April 1996, Andojo wrote to Attorney General of Indonesia
The Attorney General's Office of the Republic of Indonesia (, abbreviated as Kejagung) is the competent authority to advise the Government of Indonesia on matters of law. It serves as the central organization for the Public Prosecution Service (I ...
Singgih that the Supreme Court had accepted bribes from wealthy businessmen in several cases; Suryono refused to back down when the letter was leaked to the press.[David Bourchier, ''Law, Capitalism and Power in Asia'', pg. 247.][Sebastian Pompe, ''The Indonesian Supreme Court'', pg. 160.] Suryono denounced Andojo, who joined the Court in 1981 and made a career of exposing "court mafia,"[ and encouraged ]President
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Suharto
Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
to dismiss him. Though a dismissal never occurred, then Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
Oetojo Oesman launched an investigation of the Supreme Court led by the Court itself;[ the Court found no evidence of wrongdoing.][ Though Suharto didn't accede to Suryono's demands for Andojo's dismissal, he did appoint Sarwata bin Kertotenoyo as Suryono's successor - only a few years after Kertotenoyo led the Supreme Court investigation that found no wrongdoing on its own part.][ Suryono's attack on Andojo made a national hero of the latter after a gag order issued by the former led to opposition protests by students and legal professionals.][
With daily protests on the front steps of the Supreme Court, he made a habit of quietly exiting the building through the back door. Suryono himself took a dim view of the judiciary of Indonesia, stating after his retirement that up to half of all judges were ]corrupt
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
.[Simon Butt, Rosemary Lyster, and Tim Stephens]
Climate Change and Forest Governance: Lessons from Indonesia
pg. 131. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge, 2015.
References
{{authority control
Chief justices of the Supreme Court of Indonesia
1931 births
Living people