The Definition of Trias Politica and Its Implementation in Indonesia

PERTANYAAN

Please explain the concept of trias politica. Then, how does the concept of trias politica apply in Indonesia?

INTISARI JAWABAN

Trias Politica is a political concept that means separation of powers. The concept of Trias Politica was first proposed by John Locke and developed by Montesquieu, the purpose of Trias Politica is to prevent absolute state power.

How is the Trias Politica power-sharing system and its application in Indonesia?

Please read the review below for a further explanation.

ULASAN LENGKAP

This article is an English translation of Makna Trias Politica dan Penerapannya di Indonesia, written by Bernadetha Aurelia Oktavira, S.H. and was published on Thursday, 4 May 2023.

This article is an update of the article with the same title, written by Valerie Augustine Budianto, S.H. and was first published on Thursday, 24 March 2022.

All legal information available on Klinik hukumonline.com has been prepared for educational purposes only and is general in nature (read the complete Disclaimer). In order to obtain legal advice specific to your case, please consult with Justika Partner Consultant.

Before answering your question about who came up with the Trias Politica theory, it is better to first understand what Trias Politica is.

What is Trias Politica?

Trias Politica comes from the Greek language which means political triad. Simply put, Trias Politica is a political concept that means separation of powers.

According to Wahyu Eko Nugroho in his journal entitled Implementasi Trias Politica dalam Sistem Pemerintahan di Indonesia, explains that Trias Politica is an idea that a sovereign government must be separated between two or more strong independent entities (p. 66).[1] The purpose of the Trias Politica concept is to prevent absolute state power.[2]

The concept of Trias Politica was discovered by John Locke, an English philosopher who later Trias Politica was developed by Montesquieu in his book entitled "L'Esprit des Lois".[3]

The point of the concept of separation of Trias Politica or separation of powers is to divide a state government into 3 types of power, namely executive, legislative, and judicial. Indonesia, as a democratic country, is one of the countries that adheres to this concept.

Implementation of Trias Politica in Indonesia

Regarding its implementation in Indonesia, here we explain one by one its application based on each division of power:[4]

1. Legislative Power

Legislative power is the power to make laws. There are 3 institutions that are given legislative authority in Indonesia, including the People's Consultative Assembly, the House of Representatives, and the Regional Representative Council.[5]

2. Executive Power

Executive power is the power to implement the law and the wheels of government. In Indonesia, this power is held by the President.[6]

However, considering that it is impossible to execute the law alone, the President has the authority to delegate executive duties to other government officials, namely ministers.

3. Judicial Power

The judicial power is the power that is obliged to defend the law and has the right to provide justice to its people.[7]

The provisions of Article 24 section (1) of the 1945 Constitution declare judicial power as an independent power to administer justice in order to uphold law and justice.

The judicial function in Indonesia is carried out by the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.[8] The Supreme Court is the court of cassation or the last and highest state court, one of whose functions is to foster uniformity in the application of law through cassation and judicial review decisions.[9] Meanwhile, one of the powers of the Constitutional Court is to review laws against the Constitution.[10]

Please note, in addition to the three divisions of power mentioned above, in Indonesia there is also an examinative power as mandated by Article 23E section (1) of the 1945 Constitution, namely as a power that functions to examine state finances, namely the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia or known as Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan.

These are the answers about Trias Politica and its implementation in Indonesia we can provide, we hope you will find them useful.

Legal Basis:

The 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.

Reference:

1. Efi Yulistyowati, (et.al). Penerapan Konsep Trias Politica dalam Pemerintahan Republik Indonesia: Studi Komparatif Atas Undang-Undang Dasar Tahun 1945 Sebelum dan Sesudah Amandemen. Jurnal Dinamika Sosial Budaya. Vol. 18, No. 2, December 2016;
2. Miriam Budiardjo. Dasar-dasar Ilmu Politik. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2005;
3. W. E. Nugroho. Implementasi Trias Politica dalam Sistem Pemerintahan di Indonesia. Gema Keadilan. Vol. 1, No. 1, October 2014;
4. Supreme Court, Main Duties and Functions, accessed on 4 May 2023, at 13.00 Western Indonesian Time (zone);
5. Constitutional Court, Position and Authority, accessed on 4 May 2023, at 13.30 Western Indonesian Time (zone).

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[1] W. E. Nugroho. Implementasi Trias Politica dalam Sistem Pemerintahan di Indonesia. Gema Keadilan. Vol. 1, No. 1, October 2014, p. 66.

[2] Miriam Budiardjo. Dasar-dasar Ilmu Politik. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2005, p. 152.

[3] W. E. Nugroho. Implementasi Trias Politica dalam Sistem Pemerintahan di Indonesia. Gema Keadilan. Vol. 1, No. 1, October 2014, p. 66.

[4] Efi Yulistyowati, (et.al). Penerapan Konsep Trias Politica dalam Pemerintahan Republik Indonesia: Studi Komparatif Atas Undang-Undang Dasar Tahun 1945 Sebelum dan Sesudah Amandemen. Jurnal Dinamika Sosial Budaya. Vol. 18, No. 2, December 2016, pp. 335-337.

[5] Efi Yulistyowati, (et.al). Penerapan Konsep Trias Politica dalam Pemerintahan Republik Indonesia: Studi Komparatif Atas Undang-Undang Dasar Tahun 1945 Sebelum dan Sesudah Amandemen. Jurnal Dinamika Sosial Budaya. Vol. 18, No. 2, December 2016, p. 336.

[6] Efi Yulistyowati, (et.al). Penerapan Konsep Trias Politica dalam Pemerintahan Republik Indonesia: Studi Komparatif Atas Undang-Undang Dasar Tahun 1945 Sebelum dan Sesudah Amandemen. Jurnal Dinamika Sosial Budaya. Vol. 18, No. 2, December 2016, p. 336.

[7] Efi Yulistyowati, (et.al). Penerapan Konsep Trias Politica dalam Pemerintahan Republik Indonesia: Studi Komparatif Atas Undang-Undang Dasar Tahun 1945 Sebelum dan Sesudah Amandemen. Jurnal Dinamika Sosial Budaya. Vol. 18, No. 2, December 2016, p. 336.

[8] Article 24 section (2) The 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.

[9] Supreme Court, Main Duties and Functions, accessed on 4 May 2023, at 13.00 Western Indonesian Time (zone).

[10] Constitutional Court, Position and Authority, accessed on 4 May 2023, at 13.30 Western Indonesian Time (zone).