Contract Translation in International Civil Agreement Disputes: A Juridical Analysis of Legal Certainty in the Case of PT Citra Abadi Kota Persada and MDS Investment Holding Ltd
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the function of contract translation in ensuring legal certainty in international civil agreement disputes, particularly in the case between PT Citra Abadi Kota Persada and MDS Investment Holding Ltd. It uses a normative legal research method with a case study approach, supported by an analysis of relevant legislation, court decisions, and legal doctrines. The results of the study show that official contract translation is an absolute formal requirement in the Indonesian court of law. Non-compliance with the official translation obligation as stipulated in Law Number 24 of 2009 and Supreme Court Circular Letter Number 7 of 2012 resulted in the lawsuit being declared inadmissible (niet ontvankelijk verklaard) due to formal defects. This study also found that the principles of choice of law and locus regit actum play an important role in determining the separation between substantive law and procedural law, whereby the freedom to choose substantive law cannot override the obligation to comply with the procedural law of the forum. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to providing a legal understanding of the importance of official translation as an instrument for protecting legal certainty for the parties to an international contract.
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