Ten Important Formulation Results from Information Desk Workshop

www.english.pta-yogyakarta.go.id

Workshop of information desk services which was held by Directorate General of Religious Courts Body of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia and the Family Court of Australia in Hotel Atlet Century Jakarta, 12-14 December 2011, has finished.

Workshop which was attended by 30 participants from Mahkamah Syar’iyah of Aceh and High Religious Courts throughout Indonesia had important formulation results as follows:

The first, the information desk officials need to understand the rules of law concerning information services in judiciary, which are:

• Law Number 25/2009 on Public Services;
• Law Number 14/2008 on Public Information Disclosure;
• Rule of the Information Commission Number 1/2010 on Standard of Public Information Services; 
• Circulation Letter of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia Number 3/2010 on Guest Receptions;
• Decree of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1-144/KMA/SK/I/2011 concerning on Guidelines to the Information Services within the Courts;
• Decree of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia Number 076/KMA/SK/VI/2009 concerning on Guidelines to the Implementation of Complaint Handling in Judiciary;
• Decree of the Deputy Chief Justice for non-judicial matters of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1/WKMA-NY/SK/I/2009 concerning on Guidelines to Information Services within the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia;
• Decree of Directorate General of Religious Courts Body Number 0017/ Dj.A/SK/VII/2011 concerning on Guidelines to Information Desk Services in Religious Courts.

The Second, the information officials need to understand the good services and bad ones. The followings are the models of good services and doing otherwise is the bad ones:

• Say welcome and smile;
• Be good listeners and friendly;
• Be responsive and perspective to the information seekers;
• Give timely services;
• Give clear and accurate information;
• Give information of the next steps;
• Give consistent services in spite of the staff exchange;
• Clearly comprehend the services to be provided;
• Give services in full of enthusiasm;
• Give services in sincere attention;
• Not differentiate services on social-economic status;
• Appreciate the information seekers and not be arbitrary.

The third, the information desk officials need to comprehend the various information seeker categories. There are five categories of information seekers, which are:

• The society of justice seekers

The information that may be given to them, among other, is of the lawsuit registration process and cash advance of case cost.

The information that may not be given is information of mobile phone number or the address of judge who is handling the case.

•    The family member of justice seeker

The information that may be given is of hearing schedule and the procedure of the member of family involvement as witness in court session.

The request may not be serviced is to speed the case settlement.

•    Lawyer

Those may be serviced are, among others, the information of procedure and cash advance of case cost, and the request of verdict copy.

The request may not be serviced is to speed the case settlement.

•   The university students/ researcher

The information request may be given are the amount of judges and employees, and the data of cases which are received and decided.

The request may not be serviced is of unanonymous verdict copy of a particular party.

•    The journalist

The information requested that may be provided are that of court profile and the hearing schedule.

The information that may not be served is request to interview with the judge or who is handling case.

The fourth, the information desk officials should comprehend their roles and know what can be done or not.

The tasks of information desk are:

• Receiving information requests, either from the people who come to the court or they who contact by phone, e-mail or other communication media;
• Recording in the request registrar and make monthly report to official of information and documentation organizer (PPID);
• Choosing the requests for information which can be given or not;
• Giving information if available;
• Coordinating with the information official and the information and documentation organizer official (PPID) if the information is unavailable;
• Receiving the grievance and complaint to be followed up as the rules which are valid.

Some things should not be done are:

• Communicating and interacting with information seekers by personal communication media such as, mobile phone, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Taking over the tasks of press secretary/ public relation official in giving information concerning court policy or information which becomes public attention and has wide impact.
• Sleeping and smoking at the information desk.

The fifth, the information officials should comprehend the independence of judiciary. Therefore, the information desk officials:

• Do not give legal advice, but only give information concerning the procedures of lawsuit as the law which is valid.
• If a person requires any legal advice, he/she should be directed to the legal aid post (Posbakum).
• Do not recommend a certain lawyer to the justice seekers, but give them  the list of lawyers registered in the court.
• Do not accept anything in any form. The refusal should be politely communicated in order not to offend anyone.
• Only give information services in court office, not in house nor other place.

The sixth, the information desk officials need to give first prepossession, and be competent in choosing the sentences since opening to closing the services.

There are 11 parts which establish good or bad impression prima face, which are:

• Friendliness
• Performance
• Knowledge
• Cleanliness
• Professionalism
• Willingness to help
• Courtesy
• Credibility
• Self confidence
• Responsiveness
• Comprehension

The good service begins with saying "what can I do for?" (Ada yang bisa saya bantu?”) and ends with "..anything else can I do for you?" (apakah ada hal lain yang bisa saya bantu?”).

The seventh, the information desk should be comprehend how to handle the plaint or complaint. If there is a people come angrily, the information desk should:  

• Invite to sit;
• Give some drink;
• Listen carefully and should not interrupt;
• Not leave when a people is angry;
• Try to help by giving the information which is needed;
• Call the security if a requester seems to endanger the information desk officials;
• If a people wants to convey a complaint, the information officials should serve friendly and forward the complaint as the valid rules.

The eighth, the information desk officials need to comprehend how to serve the victim of domestic violence, are:

• Give the opportunity to tell her/his condition;
• Listen carefully;
• Be empathy;
• Do not give legal advice or suggest to cancel procedure of divorce registration;
• Explain that religious courts handle civil cases only, whereas the crime ones are handled by police.

The ninth, the information desk officials need to comprehend how to serve disable people, are:

• To the blind people, the information desk officials try to greet orally by holding the back of his/her arm.
• To the deaf and mute people, the information desk officials try to communicate orally. If they only use the sign language, the courts should provide official who master it.
• To the people use wheelchair, the information desk officials should sit as low. Do not touch or lead the wheel sit, unless requested.
• All disable people should be regarded well, without discrimination.

The tenth, the information desk officials need to comprehend the techniques to become trainer by:

• Arranging the checklist concerning any material will be given;
• Measuring the time needed to give a training;
• Doing brain storming by digging as much as possible the answers proposed by participants;
• Designing the role play, group discussion and creative presentation by using photo or video;
• Summarizing all thoughts or statement of the participants systematically;
• Trying to be trainer for the small group first.

  Source: www.badilag.net