Constitutional Court Rules Gibran Education Petition Inadmissible

On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the Constitutional Court of Indonesia ruled during the plenary session of Case Number 01/PHPU.PRES-XXIV/2026 that it found no convincing evidence showing Gibran Rakabuming Raka possessed a foreign secondary school diploma or equivalent certificate required under election law, mkri.id reported.

The court’s decision addresses a petition challenging Gibran’s educational qualifications during his run for the vice presidency in the 2024 general election. Petitioners including organisasi masyarakat sipil yang berbentuk perkumpulan, partai politik, dan perseorangan warga negara Indonesia argued that holding a senior high school diploma or its equivalent was a strict prerequisite for candidacy, Media Indonesia reported.

Court Rules on Petition and Candidate Status

Constitutional Justice Adies Kadir stated during the hearing that while the panel found no proof of a qualifying foreign diploma, the court could not disqualify Gibran from his current position as Vice President based on the petitioners’ requests, mkri.id reported. The court reasoned that the dispute no longer fit within the election results settlement regime because Gibran ceased to be a candidate once he was sworn into office on October 20, 2024.

Media Indonesia noted that security personnel guarded the court building tightly ahead of the verdict. The justices concluded that evaluating qualification requirements after a candidate takes office falls outside the scope of post-election dispute resolution for presidential contests.

Evaluation of Overseas Education Records

The petitioners argued that equalization letter number 9149/D.D1/KS/2019 was procedurally flawed because it lacked an underlying diploma or certificate as required by ministerial regulations. The court examined the submitted documents and heard testimony from the Director General of Primary and Secondary Education, who confirmed that the file contained attendance certificates and academic records rather than a formal graduation diploma, mkri.id reported.

Constitutional Justice Arsul Sani explained during the session that certificates of attendance merely verify class participation rather than completion of a specific educational stage. Despite this distinction, the court upheld the motion regarding the petitioners’ lack of legal standing, noting that election dispute laws restrict filings to presidential and vice-presidential candidates rather than civil society organizations or individual citizens.

Court Rules Petition Inadmissible Due to Improper Legal Standing

While the court asserted its formal authority to examine the General Election Commission’s Decree Number 360 of 2024 under the principle of judicial duty, it ultimately ruled the petition inadmissible due to the improper legal standing of the plaintiffs, mkri.id reported. In its legal considerations regarding its authority to decide on the petition, the court noted that the objects of the case requested for cancellation by the petitioners included General Election Commission Decision Number 360 of 2024. Furthermore, the court emphasized that it is bound by the principle of ius curia novit as stipulated in the norm of Article 10 paragraph (1) of Law Number 48 of 2009 concerning Judicial Power, which states that courts are prohibited from refusing to examine, try, and decide upon a case submitted on the grounds that the law does not exist or is unclear, but are instead obligated to examine and try it. Constitutional Justice Enny Nurbaningsih explained, With this principle, the Court is responsible for exploring material truth, rather than relinquishing responsibility under the pretext that there are no statutory limits determining which institution has the authority to resolve presidential and vice-presidential election results disputes after the inauguration of the elected candidate. The legal arguments raised by the petitioners concerning whether educational requirements act as a permanent precondition for holding office leave open broader questions about how future candidate qualifications will be verified and contested once elections conclude.

More on this story: Gibran Responds to Constitutional Court Ruling on High School Diploma Controversy