POLITICAL LAW : DYNAMICS FORMATION OF LEGAL POLICY IN INDONESIA

Abstract

Legal politics is the main foundation in the direction of law formation and enforcement in a 
country, including Indonesia. In practice, Indonesian legal politics often shows pragmatic and 
elitist tendencies, where the legislative process and the formation of regulations are more 
influenced by the interests of power than the aspirations of the people. This is reflected in the 
many overlapping, inconsistent legal products, and minimal public participation, as seen in the 
polemics of the Job Creation Law and the Revision of the Criminal Code. The main criticisms 
of national legal politics include weak law enforcement, oligarchic dominance in the legislative 
process, and the alienation of law from the values of substantive justice and local wisdom. The 
challenge ahead is to build a responsive, democratic, and participatory legal policy, by 
emphasizing the importance of the integrity of law enforcement officers, the courage to reform 
institutions, and the involvement of civil society in the process of formulating legal policies. 
This study shows that the transformation of Indonesian legal politics can only be achieved 
through a serious commitment to making law a tool of justice, not just an instrument of power.