Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mahfud MD certainly has developed a reputation for making controversial statements. However, his recent proposal for judicial reform might be his most controversial yet. According to The Jakarta Post, in a recent speech, he advocated firing all enforcement officers and replacing them. His logic is that the only way to break the networks of corruption is to fill judicial institutions with individuals not plugged into the networks.
I actually don't know of any country that has pursued such a drastic strategy. Pak Mahfud's logic is sound, but I'd be shocked if Indonesia's political elite agreed to it. However, if Pak Mahfud himself becomes a vice presidential candidate in 2014, he might have more opportunities to push his proposals.
Critics agree that much of Southeast Asia desperately needs judicial reform and rule of law. Yet, there is remarkably little comparative scholarship on law and legal institutions in the region. In this blog, I'll follow constitutional developments in Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
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