JAKARTA – The government together with the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) actively involved various stakeholders in the process of drafting the Draft Law on Amendments to Law Number 8 of 1981 concerning Criminal Procedure Law (RUU KUHAP). This step is an important milestone in realizing a national criminal procedure law system that is more adaptive, transparent, and upholds human rights.
Member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Lola Nelria Oktavia, emphasized that the revision of the Criminal Procedure Code was carried out by prioritizing the principle of meaningful participation.
“We at Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives will continue to uphold the principle of meaningful participation in drafting the Criminal Procedure Code Bill, in perfecting procedural law in Indonesia,” said Lola.
According to her, participation from the wider community and experts is very important to create an accountable and just criminal justice system.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Habiburokhman, revealed that the discussion of the Criminal Procedure Code Bill will officially begin on July 7, 2025 and will be carried out in a marathon.
“All processes will be open and broadcast live,” he said.
Previously, Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives will conduct a working visit to West Java and Yogyakarta to absorb aspirations from academics, students, and law enforcement officers. Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, emphasized that the stages of drafting the Criminal Procedure Code Bill have been mature, with the Problem Inventory List (DIM) that has been compiled by the government and public aspirations that have been collected by the DPR.
From the government’s side, Deputy Minister of Law, Edward OS Hiariej emphasized the importance of input from the civil society coalition in formulating the new Criminal Procedure Code.
“Currently, we will hear a lot of input to find the best formulation of the Criminal Procedure Code Bill. Input from friends in the civil society coalition, ministries/institutions will be very important,” said Eddy.
According to him, the renewal of the Criminal Procedure Code is an effort to present due process of law which provides a guarantee of protection against coercive efforts by law enforcement.
In the meeting, five civil society institutions (ICJR, YLBHI, LBHM, IJRS, and LeIP) conveyed nine points of improvement that are expected to enrich the substance of the Criminal Procedure Code Bill. One of them is strengthening judicial scrutiny as a form of judicial supervision of the law enforcement process. The civil society coalition also enriched the process with a proposal to strengthen the rights of suspects, witnesses, and victims, as a complementary form in perfecting a more humane criminal justice system.
The renewal of the Criminal Procedure Code is also an urgent need ahead of the implementation of the National Criminal Code which will come into effect in January 2026. The Minister of Law, Supratman Andi Agtas emphasized that the current Criminal Procedure Code is a colonial legacy that is no longer relevant to the current social and legal dynamics of Indonesia. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sunarto, conveyed the same thing, emphasizing the importance of adjusting criminal procedure law to the challenges of the industrial revolution 4.0 and 5.0, especially in the context of digital evidence.
Through cross-sector involvement from state institutions, civil society, to academics, the government and DPR have demonstrated their commitment to presenting a Criminal Procedure Code that is not only modern in terms of technology, but also oriented towards protecting citizens’ rights and legal transparency. This collaboration is expected to produce a solid criminal procedure law system as a foundation for justice in Indonesia.
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