Speaking at the opening of the 11th General Meeting of the Association of ASEAN Laws (ALA) here Thursday, Yudhoyono said he believed harmonizing the legal systems and laws would contribute positively to the formation of the ASEAN Community in 2015.
"A just and effective legal system is one of the foundations for the formation of the ASEAN Community in 2015," he said.
He said he did not mean that all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations must combine or merge their legal systems.
"That is not what I mean. But there must be a process of harmonization of the legal systems," he said.
In connection with that he said he hoped the ALA could play a role in three main issues in ASEAN.
"The first issue is you must provide a framework for learning and analyzing laws in ASEAN countries with regard to harmonizing them," he said.
He said by identifying the legal issues of common concern ALA would contribute a lot to ASEAN members and the region.
Secondly, he said, ALA must increase the professionalism and integrity of legal practitioners in member countries including prosecutors, judges, lawyers and teachers.
"The association could facilitate exchange of experience and knowledge among members," he said.
Thirdly, he said, ALA could expand cooperation and collaboration with all stakeholders.
"You must cover government institutions, private sector, academics and other parties concerned," he said adding that inclusiveness could promote public knowledge of ALA better.
President Yudhoyono praised ALA that has successfully accommodated legal practitioners in Souteast Asia harmoniously.
ALA is a non-governmental organization established in 1979 to accommodate various kinds of profession linked to law enforcement namely judges, law teachers, legal practitioners and prosecutors under one roof.
ALA was set up with an aim of developing joint efforts with regard to understanding harmonization of laws in the region. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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