TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly announced that the ministry will form a dedicated team to disseminate the Criminal Code Law (KUHP) that was passed by House legislators on Tuesday.

“We have formed a team comprising experts who were involved in the law’s formulation. This will be mobilized to many regions [and institutions] law enforcers such as police, prosecutors, and court trials,” said the Minister at the State Palace on December 6.

According to him, the law will be disseminated to academics and communities that need a deeper understanding of the new Criminal Code Law, which he insisted is formulation purely by Indonesians. He believes it has veered away from the original KUHP which is a reminiscence of the colonial era.

"We have been using the old Criminal Code, which was a Dutch product, that has actually been extensively amended in the Netherlands itself. We keep up with the times, but I understand if there are differences of opinion [regarding the law’s passing]," Laoly explained.

The House of Representatives (DPR) on Tuesday, December 6th, officially passed the Criminal Code Bill (RKUHP) into law in the 11th plenary today, which was led by Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad.

Prior to the passing of the Bill, which has been met with many rejections from activists and the general public alike, Commission III DPR Speaker Bambang Wuryanto said that the formulation of the Bill is a carryover from the previous House term meant to decolonize, consolidate, and harmonize the Criminal Code.

“The Criminal Code Bill is a recodification attempt and open to all criminal provisions and responding to all developments in today's society,” said Bambang.

He claims the discussions regarding the formulation of the RKUHP had been done transparently and carefully, especially across a number of provisions that are deemed controversial.

According to him, the existence of the RKUHP is important to reform the law in line with national development goals and to realize the creation of a just and prosperous society.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH

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