MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The long-running struggle of honorary teachers in Langkat Regency has entered a new phase. The plaintiffs, through their legal representatives from the Legal Aid Institute (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum or LBH) Medan, have filed a request to enforce a ruling issued by the Medan Administrative Court (PTUN Medan) that has obtained permanent legal force.
The enforcement request concerns
PTUN Medan Ruling No. 30/G/2024/PTUN.MDN, in conjunction with Medan Administrative High Court (PTTUN Medan) Ruling No. 162/B/2024/PT.TUN.MDN and Supreme Court cassation ruling No. 345 K/TUN/2025. The applicants submitted the enforcement request on September 7, 2026.
Director of LBH Medan Irvan Saputra, S.H., M.H., said the request was subsequently followed up by the Chairwoman of PTUN Medan, Elizabeth Isabella E. H. Lumban Tobing, S.H., M.Hum. The chairwoman summoned the Regent of Langkat to oversee implementation of the legally binding ruling and obtain an explanation regarding the steps taken to execute it.
The summons was issued through Letter No. 30/Was.Eks./G/2024/PTUN.MDN dated September 8, 2026. The meeting brought together the applicants and representatives of the Langkat Regency Government. The government attended the summons through its legal representatives and regional administration officials.
PTUN Medan Seeks Explanation on Ruling Implementation
According to Irvan, the chairwoman of
PTUN Medan requested an explanation from the representative of the
Regent of Langkat regarding implementation of the legally binding ruling.
"Following the summons from the Chairwoman of PTUN Medan, the applicants and the Regent of Langkat, represented by his legal counsel and officials from the Langkat Regency Government, attended the summons. During the meeting, the Chairwoman of PTUN Medan asked the Regent of Langkat whether the legally binding ruling had been implemented. However, the Regent's legal counsel and officials from the Langkat Regency Government stated that they could not implement the ruling because a new situation had arisen, namely that around 91 of the plaintiffs or applicants had been appointed as full-time PPPK employees, while another 14 had been appointed as part-time PPPK employees," Irvan said in an official statement on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
Irvan explained that the Langkat Regency Government argued that a new situation had emerged following the ruling. Around 91 individuals from among the plaintiffs or applicants had since been appointed as Pegawai Pemerintah dengan Perjanjian Kerja (PPPK), or government employees under employment contracts, on a full-time basis. Another 14 individuals had been appointed as part-time PPPK employees.
LBH Medan, however, maintains that this situation does not constitute a legal basis for refusing to implement a court ruling. Irvan said the PPPK status obtained by some of the applicants was the result of their own efforts through the 2024 PPPK recruitment selection process, rather than the implementation of the PTUN ruling in question.
Irvan said the chairwoman of
PTUN Medan subsequently asked the applicants to provide their response after hearing the reasons presented by the legal representatives of the
Regent of Langkat and officials from the regional government.
NEW STATUS DOES NOT REMOVE LEGAL OBLIGATION: LBH Medan Director Irvan Saputra emphasizes that the new situation cited by the Langkat Regency Government does not remove its obligation to implement the court ruling. (PHOTO: LBH Medan)
LBH Medan: Legally Binding Ruling Remains Enforceable
According to Irvan,
LBH Medan's legal representatives immediately explained the legal implications of the new situation cited by the Langkat Regency Government.
Irvan said the change in status of some applicants to PPPK employees was unrelated to the implementation of PTUN Medan Ruling No. 30/G/2024/PTUN.MDN, in conjunction with PTTUN Medan Ruling No. 162/B/2024/PT.TUN.MDN and Supreme Court cassation ruling No. 345 K/TUN/2025.
The honorary teachers concerned obtained their new status only after participating in and successfully completing the 2024 PPPK recruitment selection process.
"Therefore, LBH Medan firmly stated that the Regent's argument cannot be justified under the law and that the Regent is obliged to implement the ruling in order to uphold justice and provide legal certainty for the applicants," Irvan emphasized.
After hearing both sides, the chairwoman of
PTUN Medan instructed the
Regent of Langkat to implement the ruling. According to Irvan, the instruction was based on statutory provisions governing administrative courts as well as the implementation guidelines for supervising the enforcement of legally binding administrative court rulings under Juklak No. 01/KM.TUN/HK2.7/Juklak/VII/2024.
This position forms an important part of the supervision of the ruling's implementation because a legally binding court decision carries legal consequences for the party ordered by the court to fulfill certain obligations.
The legal representatives of the
Regent of Langkat and officials from the Langkat Regency Government subsequently requested additional time to conduct internal consultations with the
Regent of Langkat and the central government, including the National Civil Service Agency (Badan Kepegawaian Negara or BKN), regarding implementation of the ruling.
"As a result, the Chairwoman of PTUN gave the Regent until Friday, September 25, 2026, to address the execution of the ruling in question," Irvan said.
The process of implementing the ruling has therefore entered another phase.
LBH Medan said it would continue to accompany and monitor the enforcement process until there is clarity regarding the next steps for implementing the court decision.
LBH Medan Raises Concerns Over Education Administration in Langkat
In addition to the implementation of the PTUN ruling,
LBH Medan also linked the case to broader issues concerning education administration in Langkat Regency. Irvan said that, from the organization's perspective, there was no reason for the
Regent of Langkat not to implement a legally binding court ruling.
LBH Medan also stated that failure to implement the ruling could affect the fulfillment of the rights of honorary teachers who have been fighting to assert their claims since 2023.
"It should be understood that if the ruling in question is implemented by the Regent, then legally and from a human rights perspective, the Regent will have helped protect the education sector in Langkat Regency from fraudulent practices and even corruption that have occurred in the past," Irvan said.
In his statement, Irvan also referred to previous corruption cases involving three heads of education agencies in Langkat Regency. He cited these cases as part of LBH Medan's assessment of problems in the administration of the education sector in the region.
LBH Medan expressed concern that corrupt practices could recur if the issue was not addressed at its root. The organization also linked the honorary teachers' case to allegations that the 2023 PPPK recruitment selection process was not conducted properly and fairly.
These allegations and concerns were raised by LBH Medan in connection with the case it is assisting. Whether violations actually occurred during the selection process must be determined based on applicable legal facts and relevant evidence.
Irvan said
LBH Medan hoped the matter could be resolved soon so that education administration in Langkat Regency could be managed transparently and teachers could obtain legal certainty.
"Therefore, this issue must be cleaned up immediately so that the quality of education continues to improve and produces a generation that is intelligent, critical, innovative and dignified. In this way, they can bring pride to Langkat Regency on the national and even international stage," Irvan emphasized.
Among the court decisions forming the basis of the enforcement request was a ruling that partially granted the plaintiffs' lawsuit.
The court also declared null and void Announcement No. 810/2998/BKD/2023 concerning the results of the competency test for the recruitment of prospective civil servants in the Langkat Regency Government and the submission of curriculum vitae data for the determination of PPPK registration numbers for functional positions for the 2023 fiscal year, including its attachments, dated December 22, 2023. The ruling specifically concerned the summary of competency test results for the recruitment of PPPK teachers in 2023.
The ruling further ordered the defendant to withdraw the announcement, particularly the section containing the summary of competency test results for the recruitment of PPPK teachers in 2023.
In addition, the court ordered the defendant to reannounce the results of the 2023 PPPK selection in Langkat Regency based on the results of the Computer Assisted Test (CAT), particularly the summary of competency test results for the recruitment of PPPK teachers in 2023.
The court also ordered the defendant, together with Intervening Defendant II and Intervenors 1 through 247, to pay court costs totaling IDR 7,810,500.
With the deadline set for September 25, 2026, the honorary teachers and LBH Medan are now awaiting the steps to be taken by the Langkat Regency Government to implement the legally binding ruling. Further developments in the enforcement process will subsequently become part of PTUN Medan's supervision. (IDNC)
REPORTER:
Darmailawati | EDITOR:
Fik Sagala