[Unpad.ac.id, 6/10/2016] For Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Law, Prof. (Em) Dr. H.R.T. Sri Soemantri Martosoewignjo, S.H., M.H., struggle and dedication in the academic is not limited to any kind, including age. Dedication to the field of constitutional law has led Prof. Sri Soemantri to become an important figure in the development of the constitution and constitutional law in Indonesia.
Rector, Prof. Tri Hanggono Achmad, said that Prof. Sri Soemantri is an important figure in constitutional law in Indonesia. Prof. Sri Soemantri thought has consistently established constitutional law and is still relevant to the current state. In fact, the relevance has become stronger in creating the law to become one of the important pillars in nation building.
“Her persistence in developing constitutional law has turned to be remarkable. The state position becomes very central in the country when we want to encourage the strengthening of the law,” said Rector in Celebration of 90 Years Prof. Sri Soemantri Martosoewignjo and Book Launch “Constitutional and Political Interaction: Contextualization of Sri Soemantri Thoughts” at Graha Sanusi Hardjadinata Unpad, Jalan Dipati Ukur No. 35, Bandung, Thursday (6/10).
The event was attended by Prof. Sri Soemantri and her family, Head of Academic Senate Unpad, Prof. Dr. Oekan S. Abdullah, M.A., professors, university and faculty leadership, 7th Rector Unpad Prof. Dr. Yuyun Wirasasmita, MSc., and academic community of Faculty of Hukum Unpad. Also attending were Head of Judicial Commission Indonesia, Dr. Aidul Fitriciada Azhari, M.Hum., Constitutional Judge RI Prof. Dr. Maria Farida Indrati, S.H., and former Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan.
In celebration also presented a scientific speech by Lecturer Faculty of Law Unpad, Susi Dwi Harijanti, PhD, entitled “Amendment of the Constitution: Rewriting Democratic Constitutional?” The scientific oration is a contextual note taken from a dissertation Prof. Sri Soemantri in 1978.
The legal aspect alone, said the Rector, became one of the pillars that guide the activities of the three responsibilities of Padjadjaran. Together with the environmental pillar, the two pillars of this became Principal Scientific Pattern (PIP) was initiated by Unpad. “With these two aspects we hold in common, they can sustain, not just the nation, academic, but also the world,” said Rector.
Prof. Sri Soemantri born in Tulungagung 15 April 1926 has been working in constitutional law world for a long time. Since long she consistently pushes the issue of constitutional change. According to Prof. Sri Soemantri, provision must change exacerbated efforts to prevent a group who wanted to change the 1945 Constitution.
In fact, Prof. Sri Soemantri’s dissertation in Constitutional Law in 1978 has explained thoroughly of the system changes to the constitution. Dissertation of Prof. Sri Soemantri was entitled “Perceptions of the Constitution Amendment Procedure and systems in the body of the 1945 Constitution”.
One of her involvement in the constitution could be seen from the appointment of Prof. Sri Soemantri as Chairman of the Constitutional Commission in 2003 at the age of 77 years. In a scientific oration, Susi call the duty termination in the Constitutional Commission does not mean stopping her the devotion to “escort” the constitution.
“Prof. Sri Soemantri is aware of the nuanced constitutional issue of not just law, but can not be separated from the struggle of political interests. The important thing is to form a people’s constitution as a firm foundation for the administration of the state,” said Susi.
Prof. Sri Soemantri devotion on Constitutional Law is what resulted in her receiving Muh. Yamin Award from the Center for Constitutional Studies University of Andalas for Lifetime Achievement category in 2014.
Knowledge pioneering has been consistently done by Prof. Sri Soemantri, said Rector, and is expected to become energy for Unpad academic community to also be consistent in developing other scientific.
In the celebration the book “Constitutional and Political Interaction: Contextualization Thought Sri Soemantri” written by various legal experts Indonesia, as well as professors, lecturers and students of FH Unpad was also launched. *
Reported by: Arief Maulana / eh
