Jakarta – The General Chairperson of the National Leadership Council of the Indonesian Advocates Association, Suara Advocates Indonesia (Peradi SAI), Juniver Girsang, appreciates the decision of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives which approved the proposal that advocates be given immunity rights in carrying out their profession.
“In the RDPU earlier, we really appreciated the proposal from Peradi SAI accepted by Commission III, namely that advocates have the right to immunity, cannot be sued inside or outside the court,” said Juniver after the meeting at the DPR.
He emphasized that this right applies as long as advocates work in good faith and in accordance with the law.
“This is very significant for advocates and the community who provide legal services. There should be no more criminalization of advocates. This is a very healthy development,” he said.
He also highlighted another important change in the Criminal Procedure Code Bill, namely the role of advocates who can now accompany witnesses from the investigation stage to the trial.
“Previously, advocates only accompanied suspects. Now their role is stronger and more comprehensive. Advocates used to be worried about their immunity rights not being granted. Today it has been decided, that right is firmly recognized,” he explained.
According to him, this new draft shows great progress compared to the old Criminal Procedure Code.
“We express our appreciation to the DPR because the RUU KUHAP is very progressive and more on the side of justice,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Master of Science in Law and Development Program at Airlangga University, Dr. Radian Salman, assessed that the strengthening of the principle of due process of law in this bill is very real. He also reminded that there is no explicit regulation of sanctions for officers who violate.
“The recording of investigations and inquiries in Article 31 is a big leap. This will minimize procedural violations and strengthen the accountability of law enforcers,” he said.
The Coordinator of the Police Science Study Masters Program at Airlangga University, Dr. Prawitra Thalib, also expressed the same thing, that the Criminal Procedure Code Bill does not change the authority of law enforcement agencies, but focuses on protecting citizens. He also hopes that strengthening the role of paralegals and institutional supervision will also be included in the follow-up regulations.
“Functional differentiation remains intact, but protections for victims, witnesses and vulnerable groups are increasingly clarified,” he said.
