Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Supreme Court Optimize Digitalization of Cross-border Civil Legal Assistance Services

Thepresidentpost.id - ​Tangerang, Indonesia - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Supreme Court have signed 5 (five) Cooperation Agreements derived from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties Number 02/KMA/NK/IV/2023 - PRJ/HK/00001/04/2023/22 concerning Handling Requests for Legal Technical Assistance in Cross-border Civil Cases (16/2). 

The five agreements regulate several mechanisms, namely (i) Mechanism for Delivery and Cost of Letters Rogatory and Submission of Judicial Documents in Cross-border Civil Cases; (ii) Standardization of Letters Rogatory and Cover Letters for Assistance in Submission of Judicial Documents in Cross-Country Civil Cases; (iii) Delivery of Letters Rogatory and Submission of Judicial Documents in Cross-border Civil Cases; (iv) Standard Operating Procedures for Handling Requests for Legal Technical Assistance in Cross-border Civil Cases; and (v) Standardization of Evidence of Receipt of Judicial Documents in Cross-border Civil Cases.

The Director General of Protocol and Consular Affairs conveyed the commitment of the Directorate General of Protocol and Consular Affairs, as a work unit that provides excellent public services, to carry out technical assistance services for handling cross-border civil cases in accordance with other service standards at the Directorate General. Along with this commitment, the Directorate General of Protocol and Consular Affairs utilizes the support of information technology (IT)-based applications that have been developed by the Information Technology Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as innovations in providing service.

One of the latest innovations in these agreements is the optimization of digital means in forwarding judicial documents through data interoperability Handling of Legal Technical Assistance Requests in Cross-border Cases with the Supreme Court via API (Application Programming Interface). Through the implementation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - MA API, data exchange can be carried out in real-time and ensure information is forwarded in an up-to-date, accurate, and secure manner. With the presence of this new system, both parties seek transformation in the bureaucratic structure of both institutions and improve the quality of services to the community effectively and efficiently.

The event, which was opened by the Director General of Legal Affairs and International Treaties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, L. Amrih Jinangkung, is the implementation of the constitution to guarantee citizens' rights before the law, especially for those seeking justice across borders. For this reason, the government in collaboration with the Supreme Court through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has regulated the mechanism for forwarding judicial documents which began since the signing of the MoU in 2013. The Director General of HPI said that this collaboration has been going on for more than 10 years, with the second extension of the MoU carried out in 2023, after the first extension in 2018. 

The spirit of the agrement's signing between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Supreme Court is to improve cross-border civil legal assistance services. The era of globalization, marked by ease of interaction between individuals, has removed geographical barriers and national borders. This has the potential to cause an increase in the potential for cross-border civil cases in interactions between Indonesian citizens or foreigners. This condition has also led to an increase in cross-border civil cases both in Indonesia and abroad. In the future, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Supreme Court are committed to continuing to innovate with the support of the latest information technology in providing legal services related to handling legal assistance in cross-border civil cases to all justice seekers.