The Evolving Legal Framework of Capital Punishment in Indonesia: A Post-Law No. 1 of 2023 Analysis from a Human Rights Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18415/cv9jap11Keywords:
Capital Punishment; Criminal Law Reform; Law No. 1 of 2023; Human Rights; Probationary Period; Monodualistic PhilosophyAbstract
The legitimacy of capital punishment remains one of the most contentious subjects within contemporary international human rights discourse and national legal politics. This study investigates the comprehensive legal transformation of the death penalty under Law No. 1 of 2023 concerning the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) and evaluates its execution within the national legal order from a human rights perspective. Utilizing a normative-juridical research methodology, this paper examines primary legal materials—including statutory regulations, constitutional provisions, and landmark Constitutional Court decisions—alongside secondary legal doctrine. The findings demonstrate that while Indonesia retains capital punishment in its positive law, Law No. 1 of 2023 fundamentally reclassifies the death penalty from a primary sanction (pidana pokok) to an exceptional capital sanction (pidana khusus) reserved exclusively for extraordinary crimes such as narcotics trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and grave human rights violations. Crucially, the introduction of a mandatory 10-year probationary period (masa percobaan) establishes an operational compromise between absolute retentionism and full abolitionism, marking a progressive paradigm shift toward penal reform, restorative justice, and structural compliance with human rights principles.
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