State Presents Digitalisation as Legal Solution

Deregulation remains one of the largest tasks for President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. Although changes to various regulations and institutions have been made, overlapping rules, legal uncertainty, limited access to justice, and low public trust in law enforcement institutions persist as challenges. Building the legal system therefore requires not only creating new rules but also comprehensive reform so that the law truly serves as an instrument of justice and protection for society.

Simplifying and synchronising regulations, expanding access to legal aid down to the village level, strengthening restorative justice, and digitalising public services are among the steps the government claims to be undertaking. The presence of 83,960 Legal Aid Posts across all villages and sub-districts, along with the handling of more than 215,000 reports, provides a concrete picture of efforts to bring legal services closer to the public.

In an interview, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas outlined the government’s priority agenda. He stated that the first priority is regulatory reform, noting that the total number of laws and regulations in Indonesia has reached nearly 400,000 since independence. The President has ordered deregulation to simplify both the substance and quantity of these rules, preventing overlap and contradiction. The most critical task is synchronisation to ensure no two regulations govern the same matter. Reviews of several sectoral laws have been completed and submitted to the President.

Regarding access to justice, the minister explained that the President’s Asta Cita vision demands that justice be felt by the lowest levels of society. This was translated into the formation of Legal Aid Posts, now institutionally established in all 83,960 villages and sub-districts. Their existence is integrated into a digital system, accessible to the public via a dashboard on the Law Ministry’s website, where anyone can view locations, paralegal details, case types, and the status of reports, including successful and failed mediations.

Data from the Legal Aid Posts shows 215,735 reports have been handled. Considering the posts were only established last year and have been operating effectively for about eight months since January, the minister highlighted that 16,159 cases were resolved outside court. Of the total reports, 14,333 were successfully mediated, resulting in peace agreements, while 1,536 mediations failed. Only 293 cases were referred to advocates for court proceedings after failed mediation. The minister emphasised this proves the state is present, utilising the smallest government structures to deliver justice.

He noted that over 134,000 criminal cases, including assault and domestic violence, were brought to the Legal Aid Posts, demonstrating their role as an alternative forum for resolution without always resorting to criminal prosecution. The goal is restorative justice, restoring social cohesion rather than merely settling cases. The minister also confirmed that starting 1 September, the Law Ministry will launch a fully digitalised service system.