In an inquisitorial system, however, the judges conduct an enquiry into the truth of what occurred, that is, the facts behind the legal issues in dispute.
For this reason, judges control the proceedings and may directly question witnesses. In some Civil Law systems, the judges may even dominate the hearing to such an extent that lawyers are left with few questions to ask at all.
The layout of an Indonesian court reflects the inquisitorial nature of Civil Law proceedings. The judges face the witness who sits alone in a chair in the centre of the court.
Lawyers are placed off to the sides, reflecting their relatively reduced significance in proceedings.
Judges may sometimes even call witnesses that the parties have not called, demand that additional witnesses attend or even refuse to hear from witnesses called by the parties.
There is also less emphasis on the rules of evidence in inquisitorial systems as judges tend to allow most material in and then decide on its merits at a later point.
