The handover was made by armed forces chief General Endriartono Sutarto to Bagir Manan, the head of Indonesia's Supreme Court, court spokesman Budi told

"The handover is a follow up to a presidential decree issued in July," Budi said, adding that the decree ordered the military to surrender its authority to organise, administer and finance military tribunals.

With the official handover, all military and civilian personnel of the military tribunal will now become personnel of the Supreme Court.

The move is the latest part of a reform drive to create an independent courts hierarchy to replace the country's previous judicial system, often criticised as corrupt and ineffective.

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