House Commission III Launches 2025 Criminal Procedure Code Annotation Book as Guide for Law Enforcement

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) has launched the book ‘Anotasi KUHAP 2025: Sebuah Catatan Pembahasan dan Penjelasan Komprehensif Komisi III DPR RI’ to serve as an explanatory reference for law enforcement officers and other parties in implementing the provisions of the new Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP).

Commission III Chairman Habiburokhman stated in Jakarta on Tuesday that the public has the right to an explanation if they find anything unclear in the KUHAP. According to him, the DPR, as the drafter of the KUHAP, is the most appropriate party to clarify any questions.

‘For parties who do not yet understand the text of the KUHAP, the wording of the KUHAP, we have added explanations regarding the background of how those articles were formulated in the new KUHAP,’ Habiburokhman said following the book launch at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta.

He cited an example that in the new KUHAP, regarding the mechanism for naming a suspect, there is no longer a requirement that a suspect must first be examined as a witness. However, he stressed that this does not mean the new KUHAP is less democratic than the old one, nor does it mean the new KUHAP is inconsistent with the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

He explained that the current KUHAP provides a complete set of defence mechanisms for individuals at the examination stage. ‘Starting from legal counsel assistance, then immunity for advocates, strengthening the authority and role of advocates. So the clause in the Constitutional Court ruling that naming a suspect must be accompanied by a witness summons is no longer relevant,’ he said.

Therefore, Habiburokhman stated that the book compiled by Commission III could serve as a reminder for parties requiring detailed clarity from the lawmakers. ‘This is a kind of reminder, the launch of this KUHAP annotation is a reminder about the existence of new rules, which are an improvement on the old rules,’ he said.