Indonesian court rules in favor of employee suing Human Rights Minister

The State Administrative Court (PTUN) in Jakarta has sided with an employee of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Ernie Nurheyanti M. Toelle, in her legal challenge against Minister Natalius Pigai. The court fully granted Toelle's lawsuit, invalidating a ministerial decree that had moved her from a managerial role to a functional position.

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Granting the plaintiff's lawsuit in its entirety.

The ruling, presided over by Judge Mohammad Herry Indrawan P. and associate judges Febrina Permadi and Haristov Aszadha, specifically canceled Ministerial Decree Number MHA-14/KP.04.04 dated January 23, 2026. This decree concerned the transfer of Toelle from her position as Secretary of the Directorate General of Human Rights Services and Compliance, a high-ranking Echelon II.a structural role, to that of a Madya Expert Human Rights Analyst.

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The defendant is ordered to rehabilitate the plaintiff's dignity, honor, and position as before as Secretary of the Directorate General of Human Rights Services and Compliance, namely a Primary High Leadership Official or structural position of echelon II.a and Authorized Budget User in the Ministry of Law and Human Rights or another equivalent position.

The court's decision mandates that Minister Pigai must revoke the decree and "rehabilitate the plaintiff's dignity, honor, and position as before." This includes restoring her to her former role as Secretary of the Directorate General of Human Rights Services and Compliance, or an equivalent position, and reinstating her as an Authorized Budget User within the ministry.

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I am certainly grateful to God because everything has been proven in court. I believe truth will surely find its way.

Ernie Toelle expressed gratitude for the court's decision, stating, "I am certainly grateful to God because everything has been proven in court. I believe truth will surely find its way." Her legal counsel, Deby Astuti Fangidae, argued that the ministerial decision violated administrative procedures and was issued without transparency or objective decision-making. Fangidae highlighted that Toelle had consistently received positive performance evaluations and that her previous department had a high budget absorption rate of 99.56 percent, contradicting the ministry's stated reason for her transfer.

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This decision letter has violated administrative procedures and was issued without going through a transparent and objective decision-making mechanism.