Legal Discovery Through Judicial Activism By Judges In Criminal Cases
Keywords:
Judicial Activism, Criminal Cases, JudgesAbstract
In exercising the authority to decide criminal cases, Judges sometimes cannot decide proportionally according to their beliefs because they are often faced with binding to written laws that are rigid, both material and formal criminal law. So that in order to resolve disputes it is felt that Judges must play an active role in using a new rule or changing an old rule, that is where Judges create law (Judge made law) through Judicial Activism. The purpose of this study is to describe, examine, and analyze the factors underlying Judges in implementing Judicial Activism practices in criminal cases in order to ensure the upholding of the Objectives of Law, namely Justice, Benefit and Certainty. Then what obstacles are faced, and parameters or benchmarks that can be done so that Judges can implement Judicial Activism in criminal cases. This study uses a sociological juridical approach method, with the research specification being descriptive analytical. The data used in this study are secondary data, obtained through literature studies which are then analyzed qualitatively using Progressive Legal Theory and the Theory of Judicial Freedom and Legal Discovery (Rechstvinding). The results of this study are: (1). Judges' decisions that apply Judicial Activism in criminal cases at least consider several factors, including legal developments that always follow a society that moves quickly, in addition, laws or other regulations are not always complete to solve a legal case concretely, and also several other factors. (2). Obstacles that arise in the practice of Judicial Activism in criminal cases are divided into two factors, namely internal factors that originate from the personality and emotionality of the judge himself, then external factors related to the legal system of a country. (3). The solution presented is to encourage judges to use their authority as guaranteed by the Law on Judicial institution to carry out rechtsvinding and not just apply the law (rechtoepassing) through the method of legal discovery, namely the interpretation method and the argumentation method.
Downloads
References
Aburaera, Sukarno. (2012). The Judicial Institution of Indonesia. Makassar: Arus Timur.
Amarini, Indriati. (2019). Implementation of Judicial Activism in Judge's Decision. Journal of Law & Justice, 8(1).
Aulia, M. Zulfa. (2018). Progressive Law from Satjipto Rahardjo. Undang: Jurnal Hukum, 1(1), 159–185.
Christianto, Hwian. (2011). Progressive Legal Interpretation in Criminal Cases. Mimbar Hukum, 23(3), 431–645.
César & Rodriguez-Garavito. (2011). Beyond the Courtroom: The Impact of Judicial Activism on Socioeconomic Rights in Latin America. Texas Law Review.
Farid, Zainal Abidin. (2007). Criminal Law I. Sinar Grafika, Jakarta.
Hasanah, Galuh Nur. (2022). The Existence of Judicial Activism in Constitutional Practice by the Constitutional Court. Journal of Democracy and National Resilience, 1(4).
Hasibuan, Safni Kholidah, Erdianto, & Indra, Mexsasai. (2016). Reconstruction of Judicial Freedom in Deciding Criminal Cases Based on Progressive Law. JOM Faculty of Law, 3(2), 1–15.
Kholidah, Safni, Erdianto, & Indra, Mexsasai. (2016). Reconstruction of Judicial Freedom in Deciding Criminal Cases Based on Progressive Law. JOM Faculty of Law, 3(2), 1–15.
Kurniawan, Rian. (2015). Legal Discovery by Judges in Criminal Cases Based on Law Number 48 of 2009 Concerning Judicial Institution. JOM Faculty of Law, 2(1).
Marzuki, Peter Mahmud. (2011). Legal Research. Prenada Media Group, First Edition, 7th Printing. Jakarta: Kencana.
Marilang. (2017). Considering the Progressive Legal Justice Paradigm. Constitutional Journal, 14(2), 315–331.
Maskur, Muhammad Azil. (2016). Integration of The Living Law in the Consideration of Judges’ Decisions in Corruption Cases. Pandecta: Research Law Journal, 11(1), 18–30.
Nafis, Wildan. (2020). Progressive Law and Its Relevance to Legal Reasoning in Indonesia. Journal of Islamic Family Law, 1(2).
Nur, Muliadi. (2016). Rechtsvinding: Discovery of Law (A Comparison of Conventional and Islamic Law Discovery Methods). Al-Syir'ah Scientific Journal, August.
Pranata, Robert. (2016). Legal Discovery and Paradigm: A Study of Legal Philosophy on the Criminal Justice Process at the Semarang City District Court. DIPONEGORO LAW JOURNAL, 5(4).
Rhiti, Hyronimus. (2016). Philosophical Foundations of Progressive Law. Justitia et Pax, 32(1), 33–51.
Rifai, Ahmad. (2010). Discovery of Law by Judges in the Perspective of Progressive Law. Sinar Grafika, Jakarta.
Risnandri, Yogo. (2023). Judicial Activism of Judges in the Expansion of Immaterial Claims in Unlawful Acts (PMH) Cases Against the Decision of Case Number: 305/Pdt.G/2009/PN.Tng.
Sari, Milya. (2020). Penelitian Kepustakaan (Library Research) dalam Penelitian. Jurnal Natural Science, 2(2).
Sunarto. (2014). The Active Role of Judges in Civil Cases. PrenadaMedia Group: Jakarta.
Sunggono, Bambang. (2011). Metode Penelitian Hukum. Jakarta: PT Raja Grapindo Persada.
Yusra, Dhoni. (2013). The Legal Politics of Judges Behind the Discovery of Law (Rechtsvinding) and the Creation of Law (Rechtsschepping) in the Era of Reform and Transformation. Lex Jurnalica, 10(2).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Septriono Situmorang, Nurini Aprilianda, Lucky Endrawati

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.