Hostname: page-component-76d6cb85b7-rxvq6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-07-14T20:43:53.769Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Indonesia’s Criminal Justice System: A Case Study of Inter-Agency Conflict and the Fight for Power

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2025

Aristo Pangaribuan Open the ORCID record for Aristo Pangaribuan [Opens in a new window]
Aristo Pangaribuan*
Affiliation:
Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Law, Depok, West Java, Indonesia
*
Email: aristo@ui.ac.id
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article examines systemic rivalry between Indonesian criminal justice agencies, highlighting the inherent conflicts that arise when institutional actors with distinct values and priorities interact. It argues that analysing these conflicts reveals underlying power dynamics that hinder the system’s effectiveness. Indonesia serves as a compelling case study for analysing inter-agency conflict, where the source of conflict transcends procedural differences and stems from a power struggle driven by institutional self-preservation. Utilizing interviews, court decisions, media reports, and legislative analysis, this article delves into the power struggle between the police, prosecutors, and the anti-corruption agency (KPK). The analysis reveals the police to be at the centre of this conflict, resisting reforms that threaten their institutional survival. This article then argues that substantial reform of Indonesia’s criminal justice system would be difficult to achieve, as such rivalry is driven by patronage politics both within and outside the institution.

Keywords

criminal justiceinter-agency conflictIndonesiapower competitionorganizational approach of criminal justice

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Asian Journal of Law and Society , Volume 12 , Special Issue 4: Contested Modernities in Asian Law and Society , December 2025 , pp. 600 - 626
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Asian Journal of Law and Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

A’yun, R. Q. and Mudhoffir, A. M. (2019). The end of the KPK - at the hands of the ‘good’ president. Available at: https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/the-end-of-the-kpk-at-the-hands-of-the-good-president/ (Accessed: 7 April 2024).Google Scholar
Abioye, O. O. and Alao, D. O. (2020). ‘Inter-agency conflict and its implication on national security in Nigeria’, KIU Journal of Social Sciences, 6(2), pp. 47–53.Google Scholar
Achmad, N. M. and Ramadhan, A. (2024). Soal motif penguntitan Jampidsus, Kejagung: Tanyakan ke Polri, siapa di belakangnya [Regarding the motive behind the surveillance of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) states: Ask the National Police (Polri), who’s behind it]. Available at: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2024/06/06/20141491/soal-motif-penguntitan-jampidsus-kejagung-tanyakan-ke-polri-siapa-di (Accessed: 29 September 2024).Google Scholar
Afandi, F. (2019). ‘The justice system postman: The Indonesian prosecution service at work’, in Crouch, M. (ed.) The politics of court reform: Judicial change and legal culture in Indonesia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 86–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Afandi, F. (2021). Maintaining order: public prosecutors in post-authoritarian countries, the case of Indonesia. Ph. D. Diss. Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Leiden University.Google Scholar
Afandi, F. and Bedner, A. (2022). ‘Between upholding the rule of law and maintaining security: criminal justice actors in Indonesia’s Constitution’, in Crouch, M. (ed.) Constitutional democracy in Indonesia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 67–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badjeber, Z. and Rosjadi, I. (1979). RUU Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Acara Pidana [The draft of Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code]. Jakarta: Bumi Restu.Google Scholar
Baker, J. (2012). The rise of Polri: Democratisation and the political economy of security in Indonesia. Ph. D. Diss. London School of Economics and Political Science.Google Scholar
Baker, J. (2015). ‘The rhizome state: Democratizing Indonesia’s off-budget economy’, Critical Asian Studies, 47(2), pp. 309–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blumberg, A. S. (1967). ‘The practice of law as confidence game: Organizational cooptation of a profession’, Law & Society Review, 1(2), pp. 15–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blunt, P., Turner, M. and Lindroth, H. (2012). ‘Patronage’s progress in post-Soeharto Indonesia: Patronage’s progress in post-Soeharto Indonesia’, Public Administration and Development, 32(1), pp. 64–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourchier, D. (2016). Illiberal democracy in Indonesia the ideology of the family state. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.Google Scholar
Burstein, C. (1980). ‘Criminal case processing from an organizational perspective: Current research trends’, The Justice System Journal, 5(3), pp. 258–273.Google Scholar
Butt, S. (2009). ‘“Unlawfulness” and corruption under Indonesian law’, Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 49(2), pp. 179–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butt, S. (2011). ‘Anti-corruption reform in Indonesia: An obituary?’, Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 47(3), pp. 381–394.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butt, S. (2015). ‘The rule of law and anti-corruption reforms under Yudhoyono: The rise of the KPK and the Constitutional Court’, in Aspinall, E., Mietzner, M. and Tomsa, D. (eds) The Yudhoyono presidency: Indonesia’s decade of stability and stagnation. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing, pp. 175–196.Google Scholar
Butt, S. (2019). Amendments spell disaster for the KPK. Available at: https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/amendments-spell-disaster-for-the-kpk/ (Accessed: 3 April 2024).Google Scholar
Butt, S. and Lindsey, T. (2020). ‘The Criminal Procedure Code’, in Lindsey, T. and Pausacker, H. (eds) Crime and punishment in Indonesia. London: Routledge, pp. 44–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Choi, J-W. (2011). ‘Measuring the performance of an anticorruption agency: The case of the KPK in Indonesia’, International Review of Public Administration, 16(3), pp. 45–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cole, G. F. (1971). ‘Criminal justice as an exchange system’, Rutgers Camden Law Journal, 3(1), pp. 15–31.Google Scholar
Da, A. T. (2025). Komisi III DPR beberkan 7 substansi baru RUU KUHAP [Commission III of the House of Representatives reveals 7 new substances of KUHAP Bill]. Available at: https://www.hukumonline.com/berita/a/komisi-iii-dpr-beberkan-7-substansi-baru-ruu-kuhap-lt67dc0bf5b56d9/ (Accessed: 6 April 2025).Google Scholar
DetikNews (2015). Menelusuri jejak foto palsu Abraham Samad dan wanita cantik [Tracing the trail of the fake photo of Abraham Samad and a beautiful woman]. Available at: https://news.detik.com/berita/d-2803246/menelusuri-jejak-foto-palsu-abraham-samad-dan-wanita-cantik (Accessed: 2 April 2024).Google Scholar
Devlin, M. (2010). Seizing the reform moment: Rebuilding Georgia’s police, 2004-2006 (Case Studies). Available at: https://successfulsocieties.princeton.edu/publications/seizing-reform-moment-rebuilding-georgias-police-2004-2006 (Accessed: 3 August 2025).Google Scholar
Djamin, A. and Bhakti, Y. B. (2007). Sejarah perkembangan kepolisian di Indonesia : Dari zaman kuno sampai sekarang [History of the development of the police in Indonesia: From ancient times to the present]. Jakarta: Yayasan Brata Bhakti Polri [The Police of the Republic of Indonesia].Google Scholar
Domingo, P. and Sudaryono, L. (2015). Ekonomi politik dari penahanan pra-persidangan di Indonesia [Economic and politics behind pre-trial detention in Indonesia]. Pasar Minggu, Jakarta: Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, Center for Detention Studies, dan Overseas Development Institute.Google Scholar
Dony, B. (2017). Ini 15 Pasal MoU ‘Kulo Nuwun’ antara KPK-Polri-Kejagung [These are the 15 articles of the ‘Kulo Nuwun’ MoU between the KPK, the police, and the Attorney General’s Office]. Available at: https://news.detik.com/berita/d-3459238/ini-15-pasal-mou-kulo-nuwun-antara-kpk-polri-kejagung (Accessed: 1 March 2022).Google Scholar
Dyantoro, S. (2015). Ini kisah penyidik KPK dipaksa ikut skenario perwira polisi [This is the story of KPK investigators forced to follow the scenario of police officers]. Available at: https://nasional.tempo.co/read/643897/ini-kisah-penyidik-kpk-dipaksa-ikut-skenario-perwira-polisi (Accessed: 17 April 2024).Google Scholar
Faisal, A. (2020). Pengamat sebut RUU Kejaksaan ancaman tupoksi dan kewenangan Polri [Commentators said that the new prosecutorial law is a threat to the police’s power and authority]. Available at: https://www.antaranews.com/berita/1713998/pengamat-sebut-ruu-kejaksaan-ancaman-tupoksi-dan-kewenangan-polri (Accessed: 28 March 2021).Google Scholar
Febriyan and Sufa, I. G. (2012). Dua lagi penyidik KPK mundur [Two More KPK Investigators Resigned]. Available at: https://nasional.tempo.co/read/448139/dua-lagi-penyidik-kpk-mundur (Accessed: 17 April 2024).Google Scholar
Feeley, M. M. (1973). ‘Two models of the criminal justice system: An organizational perspective’, Law & Society Review, 7(3), pp. 407–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grande, E. (2000). ‘Italian criminal justice: Borrowing and resistance’, The American Journal of Comparative Law, 48(2), pp. 227–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hagan, J. (1989). ‘Why is there so little criminal justice theory? Neglected macro and micro level links between organization and power’, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 26(2), pp. 116–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hake, T. and Klatt, W. (2015). Operation Greylord: The true story of an untrained undercover agent and America’s biggest corruption bust. Chicago: American Bar Association.Google Scholar
Handayani, A. L., Ramidi, and Dhyatmika, W. (2009). Susno Duadji: Cicak kok mau melawan buaya [Susno Duadji: Cicak kok wants to fight crocodile]. Available at: https://www.datatempo.co/MajalahTeks/detail/ARM20180612145686/susno-duadji-cicak-kok-mau-melawan-buaya (Accessed: 22 April 2024).Google Scholar
Haryanto, A. (2015). Ini pasal yang digunakan Polri untuk menjerat BW, ancaman penjara 7 tahun [This is the article that the police used to snare BW, the threat of prison for 7 years]. Available at: https://news.detik.com/berita/d-2811731/ini-pasal-yang-digunakan-polri-untuk-menjerat-bw-ancaman-penjara-7-tahun (Accessed: 3 April 2024).Google Scholar
Hasan, A. A. (2024). Robert Bonosusatya alias RBT dalam pusaran korupsi PT Timah Tbk yang rugikan negara [Robert Bonosusatya alias RBT in the Vortex of Corruption at PT Timah Tbk which Harms the State]. Available at: https://metro.tempo.co/read/1851552/robert-bonosusatya-alias-rbt-dalam-pusaran-korupsi-pt-timah-tbk-yang-rugikan-negara-rp-271-triliun (Accessed: 29 September 2024).Google Scholar
Hidayat, F. (2012). ‘Peran keluarga asuh taruna akademi kepolisian sebagai upaya meningkatkan kualitas pengasuhan melalui optimalisasi peran kakak asuh taruna [The role of foster family in police academy as a tool to increase the quality of relationship of Kakak Asuh]’, Tanggon Kosala, 1(2), pp. 265–281.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. (2009). ‘The role of the criminal defence lawyer in adversarial and inquisitorial procedure’, Strafverteidigung vor neuen Herausforderungen 50, pp. 45–59. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1q69z4n?turn_away=true Google Scholar
Hodgson, J. S. (2017). ‘The democratic accountability of prosecutors in England and Wales and France: independence, discretion and managerialism’, in Langer, M. and Sklansky, D. A. (eds) Prosecutors and democracy: A cross-national study. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 40–75.Google Scholar
Ibrahim, GM. (2018). Kader Pindah Partai, PD Tuduh Jaksa Agung Jadi Alat Politik NasDem [Party Cadre Switches Parties, PD Accuses Attorney General of Being a Political Tool for NasDem]. Available at: https://news.detik.com/berita/d-4232821/kader-pindah-partai-pd-tuduh-jaksa-agung-jadi-alat-politik-nasdem (Accessed: 24 September 2024).Google Scholar
ICW. (2020). Politik Penaklukan KPK [The politics of conquering the KPK]. Available at: https://antikorupsi.org/id/article/politik-penaklukan-kpk (Accessed: 2 October 2024).Google Scholar
IM 57+. (2022). Perlawanan Sehormat-Hormatnya: Cerita pegawai KPK disingkirkan dari pemberantasan korupsi [The Most Honorable Resistance: The story of KPK employees who were removed from corruption eradication]. Jakarta: Aliansi Jurnalis Independen.Google Scholar
Imam, R. (2022). ‘Ada isu soal kakak dan adik asuh di kasus Ferdy Sambo, ini kata Polri [There are issues about foster older and younger siblings in the Ferdy Sambo case, this is what the Police say]’, Kumparan, 23 September. Available at: https://kumparan.com/kumparannews/ada-isu-soal-kakak-dan-adik-asuh-di-kasus-ferdy-sambo-ini-kata-polri-1yuktNeoRmq (Accessed: 25 September 2024).Google Scholar
INDIKATOR (2024). Rilis indikator 04 Oktober 2024 [Release of indicators 04 October 2024]. Available at: https://indikator.co.id/rilis-indikator-04-oktober-2024/ (Accessed: 9 July 2025).Google Scholar
Jacob, H. and Eisenstein, J. (1977). Felony justice: An organizational analysis of criminal courts. Boston: Little Brown.Google Scholar
Janis, I. L. (1982). Groupthink: Psychological studies of policy decisions and fiascoes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.Google Scholar
Jingga, R. P. A. (2015). Hasto: artikel ‘Rumah Kaca Samad’ sebuah kebenaran [Hasto: The article “Samad’s Glass House” is the truth]. Available at: https://www.antaranews.com/berita/475610/hasto-artikel-rumah-kaca-samad-sebuah-kebenaran (Accessed: 2 April 2024).Google Scholar
Lamchek, J. (2019). ‘Arresting a due process revolution: The reform of Indonesia’s code of criminal procedure and the persistence of history’, in Ciocchini, P. and Radics, G. (eds) Criminal legalities in the Global South: Cultural daynamics, political tensions, and institutional practices. London: Routledge, pp. 166–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lev, D. S. (1965). ‘The politics of judicial development in Indonesia’, Comparative Studies in Society and History, 7(2), pp. 173–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, W., Rossman, H. H. and Cramer, J. A. (1982). Police-prosecutor relations in the United States: Executive summary. Washington: National Institute of Justice.Google Scholar
MerdekaNews (2015). Desmond: Saya yakin foto mesra mirip Abraham & Elvira benar [Desmond: I’m sure a romantic photo looks like Abraham and Elvira is right]. Available at: https://www.merdeka.com/peristiwa/desmond-saya-yakin-foto-mesra-mirip-abraham-elvira-benar.html (Accessed: 2 April 2024).Google Scholar
Mudhoffir, A. M. (2023). ‘The limits of civil society activism in Indonesia: the case of the weakening of the KPK’, Critical Asian Studies, 55(1), pp. 62–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mudhoffir, A. M. and A’yun, R. Q. (2021). ‘Doing business under the framework of disorder: illiberal legalism in Indonesia’, Third World Quarterly, 42(11), pp. 2651–2668.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muradi (2014). Politics and governance in Indonesia: The police in the era of reformasi. Abingdon, New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Nardulli, P. (1986). ‘Insider justice: Defense attorneys and the handling of felony cases’, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 77(2), pp. 379–417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nardulli, P. F. (1978). The courtroom elite: An organizational perspective on criminal justice. Cambridge, Mass: Ballinger Pub. Co.Google Scholar
O’Leary, V. and Newman, D. J. (1970). ‘Conflict resolution in criminal justice’, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 7(2), pp. 99–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O’Shea, L. (2022). ‘Democratic police reform, security sector reform, anti-corruption and spoilers: Lessons from Georgia’, Conflict, Security & Development, 22(4), pp. 387–409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pangaribuan, A. (2025). ‘Authority, Rights, and Reform: Legislative Struggles over Indonesia’s Criminal Procedure Code (1979–1981)’, Asian Journal of Comparative Law, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1017/asjcl.2025.10004.Google Scholar
Pangaribuan, A. M. A. (2022). Cooperation and non-cooperation in Indonesian criminal case processing: ego sektoral in action. Ph. D. Diss. University of Washington Law School.Google Scholar
Panggabean, R. M. (2010). ‘Rancangan Undang-Undang Hukum Acara Pidana dari perspektif Polri sebagai penyidik [The draft of Indonesian criminal procedure code reform from the police’s perspective as an investigator]’, Masalah-Masalah Hukum [Legal Issues], 39(3), pp. 269–280.Google Scholar
Peraturan Bersama Mahkumjapol [Joint regulation between police, prosecutor and judge] (2010). Available at: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:AP:c091120e-38e6-4200-8311-63e2dfec9d85 (Accessed: 25 August 2025).Google Scholar
Rajab, U. S. (2003). Kedudukan dan fungsi Polisi Republik Indonesia dalam sistem ketatanegaraan: berdasarkan UUD 1945 [The structure and function of the Police in 1945 Constitution]. Bandung: CV Utomo.Google Scholar
Ramadhiani, A. (2014, August 26). Dilaporkan oleh Polri, Anggota Kompolnas Adrianus Meliala Penuhi Panggilan [Reported by the National Police, Kompolnas member Adrianus Meliala Fulfills Summons]. KOMPAS.com. Available at: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/xml/2014/08/26/17343901/Dilaporkan.oleh.Polri.Anggota.Kompolnas.Adrianus.Meliala.Penuhi.Panggilan (Accessed: 19 August 2025).Google Scholar
Rossum, R. A. (1978). The politics of the criminal justice system: An organizational analysis. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc.Google Scholar
Samosir, H. A. (2022). Awas Panas: Georgia Aja Sukses Reformasi Polisi, Polri Gimana Nih? [Careful, It’s Heating Up: Even Georgia Managed Police Reform, What’s Going On with the Indonesian Police?]. Available at: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/internasional/20221228161627-139-893244/awas-panas-georgia-aja-sukses-reformasi-polisi-polri-gimana-nih (Accessed: 26 September 2024).Google Scholar
Samuel, O. (2014). ‘Superiority struggles and inter agency feud in Nigeria’, Global Journal of Human-Social Science (C), 14(5), pp. 33–41.Google Scholar
Schütte, S. A. (2012). ‘Against the odds: Anti-corruption reform in Indonesia’, Public Administration and Development, 32(1), pp. 38–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Setuningsih, N. (2024). Mahfud: Kapolri dan Jaksa Agung tidak mau bertemu di satu forum, kecuali Sidang Kabinet [Mahfud: Police chief and Attorney General do not want to meet except in Cabinet Meeting]. Available at: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2024/06/13/17243341/mahfud-kapolri-dan-jaksa-agung-tidak-mau-bertemu-di-satu-forum-kecuali (Accessed: 29 September 2024).Google Scholar
Shiner, M. (2010). ‘Post-Lawrence policing in England and Wales: Guilt, innocence and the defence of organizational ego’, The British Journal of Criminology, 50(5), pp. 935–953.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siregar, HR. (2023, December 4 ). Silent Operation in Village to Support Prabowo-Gibran for The Presidential Election. Available at: https://newsletter.tempo.co/read/1805045/silent-operation-in-village-to-support-prabowo-gibran-for-the-presidential-election (Accessed: 24 September 2024).Google Scholar
Strang, R. R. (2008). ‘“More adversarial, but not completely adversarial”: reformasi of the Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code’, Fordham International Law Journal, 32(1), pp. 188–231.Google Scholar
Sykes, G. W. (1985). ‘The functional nature of police reform: The ‘myth’ of controlling the police’, Justice Quarterly, 2(1), pp. 51–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tanumidjaja, M. (1971). Sedjarah perkembangan Angkatan Kepolisian [The history of Indonesian Police]. Jakarta: Pusat Sedjarah ABRI Departmen Pertahanan-Keamanan [Cultivation Center ABRI Department of Security Defensive].Google Scholar
TEMPO (2012). Penyidik KPK tersandera di kantor Korlantas Polri [KPK Investigators held hostage at the Police Traffic Corps Office]. Available at: https://nasional.tempo.co/read/420305/penyidik-kpk-tersandera-di-kantor-korlantas-polri (Accessed: 2 April 2024).Google Scholar
TEMPO (2024). Jenderal polisi dalam korupsi timah [Police General in Tin Corruption]. Available at: https://majalah.tempo.co/read/opini/172299/polisi-korupsi-timah-bangka-belitung (Accessed: 29 September 2024).Google Scholar
Thompson, J. D. (2003). Organizations in action: Social science bases of administrative theory. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.Google Scholar
Transparency International (2025). Our work in Indonesia. Available at: https://www.transparency.org/en/countries/indonesia (Accessed: 9 July 2025).Google Scholar
Weick, K. E. (1976). ‘Educational organizations as loosely coupled systems’, Administrative Science Quarterly, 21(1), pp. 1–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, B. and Gray, V. (1980). The organizational politics of criminal justice: Policy in context. New York : Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Yulianto, B. (2023). ‘The dynamics of military-police relations in post-authoritarian Indonesia (1998 to 2020)’, Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi, 28(1), article 4.Google Scholar
Yustiningsih, R., Jibi, Solopos and Redaksi (2012). ‘SBY: Kasus Irjen Djoko Susilo ditangani KPK [SBY: Djoko Susilo Case is handled by KPK]’, ESPOSNEWS, 8 October. Available at: https://news.espos.id/sby-kasus-irjen-djoko-susilo-ditangani-kpk-337196 (Accessed: 9 July 2025).Google Scholar