Assistance with a database on Indonesian Laws

For the past 18 months World Wide has been working in stages with the Indonesian Cabinet Secretariat (SetKab) to support a project to provide electronic access to Indonesian laws enacted since 1945. The laws will ultimately be available in full text, not only to SetKab staff, but also through web access to the Indonesian legal profession, general public and international community.

Our involvement began in 2005 with two in-Australia experiential study programs to scope and develop a workplan for the project. This was funded under the Indonesia – Australian Specialised Training Program (IASTP III) with World Wide Director Cathy Deane as the team leader, and implemented in collaboration with Monash University. SetKab staff then commenced implementation of the multi-year project. In 2006, this entailed initial installation of local area networks, phased electronic backcapture and validation of laws, as well as establishment of systems and processes. In the midst of all this, the SetKab offices are also undergoing renovation – the SetKab offices in Jakarta are pictured below.

In January 2007, under a contract with the Indonesia – Australia Legal Development Facility (IALDF), Judith Ellis travelled to Jakarta for World Wide to conduct two weeks of intensive training and advice so that SetKab’s 2007 workplan could be thoroughly scoped and resourced. This next stage of SetKab’s ambitious program will facilitate future access to the laws as they focus on establishment of metadata, hyper-linking, and indexing of legal documents which will be available electronically. In the second week of Judith’s assignment, the SetKab team of 27 moved from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, where the residential component of their training was conducted in the Presidential Palace.

The accommodation at the Palace is used by senior officials, heads of state and similar guests who visit the President when in Yogyakarta. Comfortable rooms, beautiful gardens and excellent service made the long working days very pleasurable. On-site chefs provided a continuous array of traditional Javanese cooking. The group also enjoyed a brief respite by attending a traditional Javanese wedding of a young SetKab couple who were getting married in their home town of Yogyakarta.