Lemhanas on New Criminal Code: Indonesia Needs to Assert Its Autonomy

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas) Governor Andi Widjajanto highlighted the responses of several representatives of foreign countries and certain international organizations regarding the revised criminal code that was just passed by the DPR last week. 

Various organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) to Human Rights Watch, voiced their concern about the new law which is deemed to violate freedom of the press and to be not in line with human rights principles.

“Geopolitically, after the ratification of the criminal code, Indonesia needs to assert its strategic autonomy,” said Andi, who is a former Cabinet Secretary of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi, in a written statement, Monday, December 12, 2022.

Efforts to assert strategic autonomy, he explained, are bolstered by breaking foreign intervention against Indonesia's legal sovereignty. Andi said that those parties must accept and understand the evolution of Indonesian law development.

“Legal development in Indonesia has been carried out by adopting the development of a modern criminal law paradigm and taking into account the need to strengthen the consolidation of democracy in Indonesia,” Andi remarked.

The revised criminal code was ratified on December 6, 2022, and is now waiting to be signed and then promulgated by President Jokowi. The palace acknowledged that there are definitely differences of opinion in every legal product created, but Indonesia already has a mechanism through a judicial review at the Constitutional Court.

“The government will certainly respect the legal process if later there are members of the community group who challenge the Criminal Code to the Constitutional Court,” said Deputy V Chief of Presidential Staff, Jaleswari Pramodhawardani.

FAJAR PEBRIANTO

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News