The Implementation of Substantive Justice in Criminal Law Enforcement by the Sibolga Resort Police Under the National Criminal Code
Keywords:
Substantive Justice, Criminal Law Enforcement, Restorative Justice, Police Discretion, Criminal Code ReformAbstract
The enactment of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Indonesian Criminal Code represents a significant milestone in the reform of Indonesia’s national criminal law system. The newly enacted Criminal Code no longer focuses solely on retributive punishment but also emphasizes substantive justice, human rights protection, and restorative legal principles. In this regard, the Indonesian National Police, particularly the Sibolga Resort Police, occupies a strategic position as the frontline institution in criminal law enforcement. This study aims to examine the implementation of substantive justice in criminal law enforcement carried out by the Sibolga Resort Police and to analyze the challenges and optimization strategies related to its application within the framework of the new Criminal Code. This research employs normative juridical methods using statutory, conceptual, and case approaches. Legal materials were collected through library research and analyzed qualitatively using descriptive-analytical methods. The findings reveal that the implementation of substantive justice by the Sibolga Resort Police has been reflected in the application of restorative justice mechanisms, proportional police discretion, and the prioritization of social recovery in handling minor criminal offenses. Nevertheless, several obstacles remain, including the persistence of legal positivism among law enforcement officers, limited understanding of the new Criminal Code, institutional constraints, and public perceptions that continue to associate justice primarily with imprisonment. Therefore, strengthening legal culture, enhancing institutional capacity, and harmonizing technical regulations are essential to ensure that criminal law enforcement is aligned with the principles of substantive justice. This study concludes that the success of criminal law reform depends not only on legal substance but also on the consistency and integrity of law enforcement institutions in implementing humane and socially responsive justice.
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