Mataram, University of Mataram – UKF Formation Faculty of Law (FH) Unram presented the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Dr. Suhartoyo, S.H., M.H as a team of judges for the Grand Final of the National Constitutional Debate Competition as well as a speaker for the National Seminar held at the Abu Bakar Auditorium, University of Mataram on November 11, 2023.

In his presentation, Suhartoyo conveyed that in general the authority of the Constitutional Court is regulated in Article 24C paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution, one of the authorities of the Constitutional Court is deciding disputes about the results of general elections.

“Before the Constitutional Court was born, the authority to decide disputes about the results of the general election was the authority of the Supreme Court. However, since the Constitutional Court was established, disputes over general election results are entirely under the authority of the Constitutional Court,” Suhartoyo explained.

Furthermore, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court revealed that in the beginning the Constitutional Court was only authorized to decide disputes over the results of the Presidential election and the election of members of the Parliament. Now the Constitutional Court is also authorized to decide disputes over the results of the election of Regional Heads of both Provinces and Cities / Regencies, as well as disputes over the results of the election of Parliament of the Province, City and Regency.

Suhartoyo further explained that the Constitutional Court expanded the authority to resolve disputes over election results because of the legal vacuum in the settlement of disputes over regional head election results as written in the phrase “until the establishment of a special judicial body” in Article 157 paragraph (3) of Law No. 10/2016.

In conclusion, Suhartoyo advised that the younger generation must use their voting rights, and even help socialize and mobilize the public to use their voting rights in the 2024 general election so that the general election gets maximum results.