Law Enforcement for the Crime of Insulting the Government in Relation to the Principle of Ultimum Remedium in the Perspective of the Right to Freedom of Expression
Abstract
This study examines law enforcement practices or state responses to the crime of insulting the government and how this principle of ultimum remedium works in law enforcement of the crime of insulting the government in Indonesia. Through comparative study methods with countries outside Indonesia, literature studies, and interviews with law enforcement officials to see their law enforcement practices from the perspective of law enforcement. The results of the study show that although the 2023 Criminal Code has regulated insults against the government as an absolute complaint, the norm still leaves room for multiple interpretations between criticism and insults. Law enforcement practices in Indonesia show a tendency to use criminal law as the primary instrument (primum remedium), although normatively recognizing ultimum remedium so that clearer limits, strengthening non-criminal mechanisms, and procedural safeguards are needed to be in line with freedom of expression in a democratic country. This study aims to find out the practice of law enforcement and how this principle of ultimum remedium is present in law enforcement.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Journals:
Agustina, R. A., Madjid, A., & Noedajasakti, S. (2023, 08 31). Freedom of Expression in Regulating Criminal Acts of Defamation Against the Government and State Institutions. Path of Science, 9(8). https://pathofscience.org/index.php/ps/article/view/2883
Barendt, E. (2019). THOUGHTS ON A THINKER-BASED APPROACH TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH. 38(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10982-019-09343-9
Benuf, K., & Azhar, M. (2020). Legal Research Methodology as an Instrument for Unraveling Contemporary Legal Problems. Echo of Justice, 7(1), 20-33. https://doi.org/10.14710/gk.2020.7504
Borovyk, A., Tkachenko, I., Derevyanko, N., & Diakin, Y. (2023, Juli - September). Public official as a victim of criminal insult and defamation: Comparative Research. Cuestiones Políticas. Questiones Politicas, 41(78). https://doi.org/10.46398/cuestpol.4178.50
Buhaichuk, K. L. (2021, 03 19). International Experience of Legal Regulation of Liability for Insult of Police Officers and Possibilities of Its Use in Ukraine. Law and Safety, 80(1). https://doi.org/10.32631/pb.2021.1.01
Caron, Y. (n.d.). The Legal Enforcement of Morals and the So-Called Hart-Devlin Controversy. McGill Law Journal, 15(1). https://lawjournal.mcgill.ca/article/the-legal-enforcement-of-morals-and-the-so-called-hart-devlin-controversy/
Firdaus, M. I. (2023, 05 12). Offense of Contempt Against Government in Law Number 1 of 2023 Concerning Criminal Law Code From Constitutionalism Perspective. Audito Comparative Law Journal, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.22219/aclj.v4i2.24812
Heriansyah, A. W. (2025, 07 26). The Problematic Nature of Presidential Defamation Provisions in a Democratic Rule-of-Law State. Peradaban Hukum Nusantara, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.62193/14c0fn50
Jubaidi, D. (2024). Ultimum remedium Principles: Realizing Restorative Justice for Children In Conflict With The Law. Krtha Bhayangkara, 18(3). https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5127128
Maab, S., Woltelker, J., & Rott, A. (2024). Evaluating the regulation of social media: An empirical study of the German NetzDG and Facebook. Telecommunications Policy, 48(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2024.102719
Maiwan, M. (2018). UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL THEORIES: HORIZONS AND VIEWS. Scientific Journal of the Pulpit of Democracy, 17(2), 193-215. https://doi.org/10.21009/jimd.v17i2.9093
Nainggolan, R. A. P. (2021, 04 23). Comparasion Of Insult Regulation Towards President/Vice President In The Decree of The Constitutional Court. Constitutionale, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.25041/constitutionale.v2i1.2203
Rahmawati, N. A. (2013). INDONESIAN CRIMINAL LAW: ULTIMUM REMEDIUM OR PRIMUM REMEDIUM. Recidive Journal of Criminal Law and Crime Management, 2(1). https://jurnal.uns.ac.id/recidive/article/view/32002
Sholeha, F., Musfianawati, M., & Nail, M. H. (2023, 11 10). Constitutional Article of Insult to the President and/or Vice President in the Perspective of Freedom of Opinion for Citizens (Study of Articles 217-220 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code). WELFARE STATE Journal of Law, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.56013/welfarestate.v2i2.2402
Sutiyoso, A., Maulana, D. A., & Putra, E. W. (2024, 07 30). Quo Vadis RKUHP: Polemic of the Crime of Insulting the President, State Institutions, and the Government in the Perspective of Criminal, Constitutional, and Human Rights. Jurist-diction, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.20473/jd.v7i3.56127
Wiwin, Pradana, H. S. A., & Dhiya'ul Haq, M. I. (2023, 07 14). The Regulation of Articles on State Institutional Insults to The Right to Freedom of Expression in Indonesia: A Critical Review. Mulawarman Law Review, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.30872/mulrev.v8i1.1122
Zang, D. (2023). Privacy and National Politics: Fingerprint and DNA Litigation in Japan and the United States Compared. Pace Law Review, 43. https://doi.org/10.58948/2331-3528.2075
Books:
Lamintang, P.A.F. (2018). Fundamentals of Criminal Law in Indonesia (3rd ed.). Graphic Rays.
Poernomo, B. (1994). Principles of Criminal Law. Ghalia Indonesia.
Soekanto, S. (2014). Legal Research. University of Indonesia.
Internet:
Amnesty International. (2005, April 25). Belarus: Suppressing the last voices of peaceful dissent. Amnesty. Retrieved 12 31, 2025, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur49/004/2005/en/
Aprila, L. (2024). COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CRIMINAL LAW ON THE ARTICLE OF CONTEMPT OF THE PRESIDENT IN THE NATIONAL CRIMINAL CODE WITH THE GERMAN CRIMINAL CODE [Thesis from the Faculty of Law, Social and Political Sciences, University of Mataram]. University of Mataram. https://eprints.unram.ac.id/46697/2/JURNAL%20ILMIAH%20LEGI%20%281%292.pdf
Ardika, K. (2020). The Role of Ultimum remedium Principles as a Basis for Thinking of the Implementation of Criminal Law in Resolving Legal Problems. European Union Digital Library. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.10-11-2020.2303387
National Legal Development Agency. (2015). DRAFT ACADEMIC MANUSCRIPT OF THE DRAFT LAW ON THE CRIMINAL CODE (CRIMINAL CODE). Ministry of Law and Human Rights. https://bphn.go.id/data/documents/naskah_akademik_tentang_kuhp_dengan_lampiran.pdf
European Court of Human Rights. (n.d.). Gunal c. Turquie (n° 2), No. 20142/92. HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights. Retrieved December 31, 2025, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-65074
Shihab, N. (2022, 08 10). RKUHP DEBATE: FREEDOM OF SPEECH | Najwa's eyes. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/live/Pvav2ear0LM?si=qpdubSFJBtvrWqLG
Tempo. (2022, 10 23). Bareskrim Makes Sure Not to Arrest the Owner of the Twitter Account Insulting Iriana Jokowi, Here's the Reason. TEMPO. Retrieved 12 31, 2025, from https://www.tempo.co/hukum/bareskrim-pastikan-tak-tangkap-pemilik-akun-twitter-penghina-iriana-jokowi-ini-alasannya-251505
Regulation:
Criminal Code
Criminal Code 2023
Law No. 12 of 2005 concerning the Convention on Civil and Political Rights
Law No. 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions and its amendments
Interview:
Interview with Polrestabes (Bandung metropolitan resort police) on December 22, 2025
Interview with POLDA West Java (West Java Regional Police) on December 22, 2025
Interview with Judge of Special District Court 1A Bandung on January 5, 2026
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30659/ldj.8.1.71-84
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Law Development Journal has been indexed by:
Editorial Office: RUMAH JURNAL FH UNISSULA (RJFHU) 2nd Floor, Faculty of Law Universitas Islam Sultan Agung. Jln. Kaligawe KM. 4, Semarang City, Central Java, Indonesia.
Email: ldj@unissula.ac.id
LAW DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL (eISSN : 2747-2604), This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).