Handar Subhandi Bakhtiar

The Role of Investigative Journalism in Indonesia’s Criminal Justice Reforms: A Legal Analysis

Introduction

The role of investigative journalism in indonesia’s criminal justice reforms: a legal analysis. Explore how investigative journalism drives Indonesia's criminal justice reforms, exposing corruption and injustice. Despite press freedom challenges, it fosters accountability and policy change.

Abstract

Investigative journalism plays a crucial role in upholding democratic values by exposing legal violations, corruption, and systemic injustices within Indonesia’s criminal justice system. However, various challenges, including political interference, restrictive legislation, and threats to press freedom, hinder its effectiveness. This study aims to analyse the impact of investigative journalism on legal reforms in Indonesia, focusing on its role in uncovering miscarriages of justice, judicial corruption, and human rights violations. Employing a qualitative research approach, this study utilises a case study method to examine high-profile cases. Data collection involves reviewing secondary sources, including investigative reports, legal documents, and media coverage. This study indicate that investigative journalism has significantly contributed to legal reforms by exposing judicial corruption, wrongful convictions, and abuses of power. Key cases such as Sengkon and Karta, Baiq Nuril, Artalyta Suryani, Munir, and Ferdy Sambo illustrate how media exposure generates public pressure, prompting institutional accountability and policy changes. Despite ongoing challenges including legal intimidation, defamation laws, and press freedom constraints investigative journalism remains a critical instrument for democratic oversight and legal transformation. Compared to other jurisdictions, Indonesia’s legal framework remains inadequate in safeguarding journalistic freedom and press independence.

Review

This study delves into a highly pertinent and critical area: the role of investigative journalism in driving criminal justice reforms within Indonesia. The abstract clearly articulates the central thesis, positing investigative journalism as an indispensable tool for democratic oversight, exposing systemic injustices, corruption, and human rights violations. The chosen methodology, a qualitative case study approach examining high-profile instances, appears well-suited to the research question, aiming to provide nuanced insights into the complex interplay between media exposure and legal transformation. The initial findings, indicating significant contributions to reform through the uncovering of judicial corruption and wrongful convictions, underscore the potential impact and relevance of this research. A key strength of this work lies in its specific identification and utilization of several prominent Indonesian cases—Sengkon and Karta, Baiq Nuril, Artalyta Suryani, Munir, and Ferdy Sambo—as illustrative examples. This empirical grounding, even at the abstract level, lends credibility to the claims that media exposure can effectively generate public pressure, thereby prompting institutional accountability and policy adjustments. The focus on these high-profile instances promises to offer concrete evidence of how journalistic efforts translate into tangible shifts within a often-opaque criminal justice system. By highlighting these successes, the study effectively demonstrates the enduring value of a free press in a developing democracy. However, the abstract also forthrightly acknowledges the substantial challenges faced by investigative journalism in Indonesia, including political interference, restrictive legislation, legal intimidation, and threats to press freedom. The comparative statement regarding Indonesia's inadequate legal framework for safeguarding journalistic independence, when juxtaposed with other jurisdictions, presents a crucial area for deeper exploration within the full paper. While the study effectively outlines the *impact* of journalism, a more granular analysis of the specific *mechanisms* through which public pressure translates into concrete, sustainable legal and policy reforms, beyond mere exposure, would further strengthen its contribution. Nevertheless, this study promises to be a valuable addition to the literature on media's role in governance and human rights, offering important insights into a complex legal and political landscape.

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