Posted in: Law

Demonstrations on International Labour Day have recently featured somewhat surprising calls for the dissolution of the Industrial Relations Court. Dr Herlambang P Wiratraman looks at why the court - originally intended to provide greater protection for workers' rights - has failed to live up to its promise.

Over the past few months, the Constitutional Court has issued two decisions that will prevent governors and the Ministry of Home Affairs from revoking problematic local bylaws, or perda. Professor Simon Butt writes that while the decisions have yet to cause much controversy, they spell serious trouble for legal certainty and the rule of law.

In a decision that shocked many, judges last week sentenced former Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama to two years in prison for blasphemy. Dr Stewart Fenwick, who recently completed a book on the Blasphemy Law, writes that the case demonstrates how the law and the courts can be exploited for political and religious purposes.