Which Indonesian Court Has Jurisdiction Over Your Case?

The four judicial branches

The Supreme Court supervises the general, religious, military, and administrative courts. General courts hear ordinary criminal and civil matters. Religious courts have defined jurisdiction over family and Islamic-economy matters. Military and administrative courts have specialised scopes.

• Commercial, corruption, industrial-relations, and tax matters may be assigned to specialised courts.
• The Constitutional Court is not an ordinary appellate court; its jurisdiction is specifically constitutional.

Court levels and remedies

A case normally starts at first instance. A judgment may be reviewed on appeal and, where available, by cassation. The route and deadline depend on the type of decision and should be verified.

• Record the case number, judgment date, notification date, and deadline.
• Decide whether the translation must cover the identity section, operative part, reasoning, or the entire judgment.

Foreign parties and courtroom language

Indonesian is the language of official proceedings. A party who does not understand the language of the process may require an interpreter. Foreign documents may also need a translation accepted by the court or relevant authority.

• Confirm the accepted format with the court or counsel.
• Book an interpreter early for hearings, witness examinations, or document-heavy conferences.

Before requesting assistance

Prepare the matter type, court or authority, case number if available, hearing date, languages, number of participants, and document-translation needs. This minimum brief supports an initial assessment without sending confidential content.