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Judicial Scrutiny Under Indonesia’s KUHAP 2025: Transplantation and Institutional Incoherence

Brawijaya Law Journal : Journal of Legal Studies · Vol. 13 No. 1 (2026) · pp. 25–57

DOI
10.21776/ub.blj.2026.013.01.02
ISSN
2503-0841, 2356-4512
Published
2026-07-15
Publisher
Faculty of Law, Universitas Brawijaya
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0

Abstract

Law No. 20 of 2025 on Criminal Procedure (KUHAP 2025) represents Indonesia’s most significant criminal procedure reform following KUHAP 1981. The new Code expands the scope of pre-trial review (praperadilan) and recognises suspect designation as a coercive measure and introduces specific evidentiary consequences for certain unlawful investigative acts. These reforms indicate genuine normative progress. However, this article argues that the effectiveness of judicial scrutiny under KUHAP 2025 depends on institutional coherence between review mechanisms, investigative authority, access to information, and remedies. Using normative legal research and functional comparative analysis, this article compares Indonesia with the United States federal pre-trial motion system and the Dutch rechter-commissaris model. The comparison shows that KUHAP 2025 selectively adopts adversarial legal style features, such as broader pre-trial review and limited exclusionary consequences, without establishing the supporting infrastructure of adversarial litigation, including structured disclosure and robust suppression practice. Simultaneously, it does not create an examining judge comparable to the Dutch model or an automatic mechanism for prompt judicial review of arrest and detention. As a result, judicial scrutiny remains largely reactive, application-based, and dependent on executive-controlled information. The article concludes that KUHAP 2025 modernises the language of rights protection but risks producing procedural hybridity without institutional coherence, unless judicial authorisation and pre-trial review are interpreted as substantive protection against coercive power before conviction.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

11 authors · 19 co-authorship links

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  • National University of Malaysia
  • Affiliation unknown
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Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Budi SuhariyantoAffiliation unknown1
Lilik MulyadiAffiliation unknown1
Sri Gilang Muhammad S.R.P.Affiliation unknown1
Solehuddin SolehuddinAffiliation unknown1
Ria Casmi ArrsaAffiliation unknown1
Nurini ApriliandaAffiliation unknown1
Nadhilah A. KadirNational University of Malaysia1
Anggi Ari YulianiAffiliation unknown1
Milda IstiqomahAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) http://lawjournal.ub.ac.id/index.php/law/oai, first harvested 8 Nov 2026, last seen 8 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc)
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">Judicial Scrutiny Under Indonesia’s KUHAP 2025: Transplantation and Institutional Incoherence</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Afandi, Fachrizal</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Bagaskoro, Ladito Risang</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Coercive Measures; Comparative Criminal Justice; Judicial Scrutiny; KUHAP 2025; Pretrial Procedure</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">Law No. 20 of 2025 on Criminal Procedure (KUHAP 2025) represents Indonesia’s most significant criminal procedure reform following KUHAP 1981. The new Code expands the scope of pre-trial review (praperadilan) and recognises suspect designation as a coercive measure and introduces specific evidentiary consequences for certain unlawful investigative acts. These reforms indicate genuine normative progress. However, this article argues that the effectiveness of judicial scrutiny under KUHAP 2025 depends on institutional coherence between review mechanisms, investigative authority, access to information, and remedies. Using normative legal research and functional comparative analysis, this article compares Indonesia with the United States federal pre-trial motion system and the Dutch rechter-commissaris model. The comparison shows that KUHAP 2025 selectively adopts adversarial legal style features, such as broader pre-trial review and limited exclusionary consequences, without establishing the supporting infrastructure of adversarial litigation, including structured disclosure and robust suppression practice. Simultaneously, it does not create an examining judge comparable to the Dutch model or an automatic mechanism for prompt judicial review of arrest and detention. As a result, judicial scrutiny remains largely reactive, application-based, and dependent on executive-controlled information. The article concludes that KUHAP 2025 modernises the language of rights protection but risks producing procedural hybridity without institutional coherence, unless judicial authorisation and pre-trial review are interpreted as substantive protection against coercive power before conviction.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Faculty of Law, Universitas Brawijaya</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2026-07-15</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
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	<dc:identifier>https://lawjournal.ub.ac.id/index.php/law/article/view/2151</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.21776/ub.blj.2026.013.01.02</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">Brawijaya Law Journal; Vol. 13 No. 1 (2026): Contemporary Trends in Criminal Law Reform: Procedural Innovations, Rights, and Restorative Approaches; 25-57</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2503-0841</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2356-4512</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.21776/ub.blj.2026.013.01</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://lawjournal.ub.ac.id/index.php/law/article/view/2151/190</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2026 Brawijaya Law Journal</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0</dc:rights>
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