Regional Governments Urged to Responsively Socialise New Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure

Padang City (ANTARA) - The Supreme Court (MA) hopes that all regional governments (pemda) in Indonesia will be responsive in socialising the new Criminal Code (KUHP) and Code of Criminal Procedure (KUHAP) to the public. “Regional governments must socialise this new KUHP and KUHAP to the public,” said the Chair of the Criminal Chamber of the MA, Prim Haryadi, in Padang City on Saturday. He stated that provincial and regional governments have comprehensive socialisation instruments because they have heads of legal bureaus or heads of legal divisions. This is so that, he said, the public gains a comprehensive understanding of the new KUHP and KUHAP, and they should accordingly collaborate with universities. In fact, he said, it would be even better to involve law enforcement apparatus such as the police, prosecutors, and courts. First, Law No. 1 of 2023 on the KUHP, Law No. 20 of 2025 on the KUHAP, and Law No. 1 of 2026 on Penal Adjustments. According to him, these three legal products are very important to socialise to the public to avoid differing perceptions. He gave an example that the KUHP emphasises that imprisonment is the last resort (ultimum remedium). This means that if lighter penalties such as community service, fines, supervision, and trials can still be applied, they must be prioritised over imposing imprisonment. Therefore, during this transitional period, the MA emphasises that the socialisation of the new KUHP and KUHAP, as well as penal adjustments, must be intensified. On one hand, he mentioned that the socialisation of Law No. 1 of 2023 on the KUHP, Law No. 20 of 2025 on the KUHAP, and Law No. 1 of 2026 on Penal Adjustments among law enforcement apparatus is already running well. However, among the grassroots, the education and socialisation of these three must be intensified so that the public gains the latest understanding of law enforcement.