JAKARTA: Indonesian lawmakers have passed a sweeping revision to the Criminal Procedure Code, which they said would modernise an outdated justice system by speeding up prosecutions and aligning legal procedures with a new criminal code set to take effect in 2026.
The overhaul, approved by parliament on Tuesday (Nov 18), marks the biggest revision of Indonesia’s criminal justice framework in more than four decades, covering everything from investigations to enforcement.
A draft of the bill published by parliament consolidates investigative authority under the national police and expands law-enforcement powers to act without warrants in "urgent situations.”
It also grants broader powers to freeze bank accounts and digital assets, allowing investigators, prosecutors or judges to block financial transactions or electronic accounts during investigations.
The legislation introduces several mechanisms common in modern legal systems, including plea bargaining, a clearer framework for justice collaborators and a deferred prosecution agreement for corporate offenders aimed at improving compliance and efficiency in corporate crime enforcement.
Lawmakers say the changes would help reduce court backlogs and bring Indonesia’s legal procedures closer to international standards.
Under the Constitution, the president has 30 days to sign the bill; if not, it automatically becomes law.
Rights activists criticised aspects of the bill, describing the "urgent situations” clause as overly broad and a potential threat to judicial oversight.
"The discussion of this bill failed to address problematic and vague articles that enable abuse of power,” a coalition of civil society organisations said in a statement, accusing lawmakers of ignoring long-standing concerns about excessive authority and weak safeguards.
Critics have filed a complaint with the House’s ethics council alleging lawmakers rushed deliberations and misrepresented the level of public participation. Lawmakers have defended the process, saying all stakeholders were consulted. - Bloomberg
