Crown Witnesses in Indonesian Criminal Procedure: A Critical Review of Legal Status and Legitimacy

Syofia Marlianti Tambunan

doi:10.54518/rh.5.2.2025.566

Authors

Syofia Marlianti Tambunan Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Jakarta, Jakarta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54518/rh.5.2.2025.566

Keywords:

Crown Witness, Criminal Procedure Code, Fair Trial, Justice Collaborator, Legal Legitimacy, Non-Self-Incrimination

Abstract

This study investigates the legal status and legitimacy of crown witnesses in the Indonesian criminal justice system a practice still widely used despite lacking explicit legal foundation in the Criminal Procedure Code. The study aims to evaluate whether the crown witness practices aligning with procedural and human rights principles embedded in the Criminal Procedure Code and international law. Using normative legal research with statutory and conceptual approaches, this study analyzes the inconsistency between crown witness practices and Articles 185 and 189 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which clearly differentiate between the roles of witnesses and defendants. Findings reveal that this practice undermines legal certainty, violates the principle of non-self-incrimination in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and creates a conflict of interest for defendants testifying under oath in related cases. The study concludes that the justice collaborator framework recognized in Supreme Court Circular Number 4/2011 and Law Number 31/2014 offers a more legitimate alternative. It recommends formal codification of witness cooperation in the Criminal Procedure Code reform to uphold fair trial guarantees.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Amin, K. (2024). Perlindungan Hukum terhadap penetapan status tersangka ditinjau dari perspektif hak asasi manusia. Josh: Journal of Sharia, 3(01), 1-18.

Ariyanti, D. O., & Ariyani, N. (2020). Model pelindungan hukum terhadap justice collaborator tindak pidana korupsi di Indonesia. Jurnal Hukum Ius Quia Iustum, 27(2), 328-344.

Assalmani, M. N. B. A. (2021). Corporate criminal liability in Indonesian Law concerning fund transfer. Research Horizon, 1(6), 229–236.

Cavagnoli, G., & Peters, L. (2024). Lessons from Italy for a more effective use of crown witnesses in the Netherlands. Ars Aequi, 73(8), 704-711.

Chandra, T. (2023). Law enforcement against criminal acts of subsidized liquefied petroleum gas abuse in Indonesia. Research Horizon, 3(4), 410–420

Dianti, F. (2024). Hukum pembuktian pidana di indonesia: perpandingan HIR dan KUHAP (Edisi Revisi). Jakarta: Sinar Grafika.

Fessinger, M. B., Bornstein, B. H., Neuschatz, J. S., DeLoach, D., Hillgartner, M. A., Wetmore, S. A., & Douglass, A. B. (2020). Informants v. innocents: informant testimony and its contribution to wrongful convictions. Capital University Law Review, 48(2), 149-188.

Gunawan, Y. (2019). Peran dan Perlindungan Whistleblower (Para Pengungkap Fakta) Dalam Rangka Memberantas Tindak Pidana Korupsi di Indonesia. Law Review, 18(3), 262-287.

Hajar, I. (2017). Eksistesi saksi mahkota sebagai alat bukti dalam perkara tindak pidana narkotika. Jurnal Ilmiah Ecosystem, 17(3), 920-927.

Hudiarini, S., Hadiwinata, K., Chalim, A., & Muslim, S. (2023). legal protection of whistle blower and justice collaborator against corruption in Indonesia. Justice Law Review Journal, 2(02), 101-113.

Irianto, S. (2021). Legal education for the future of Indonesia: A critical assessment. The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies, 1(1), 17-25.

Jayadi, A. (2020). Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Saksi. El-Iqthisady: Jurnal Hukum Ekonomi Syariah, 3(2) 130-141.

Kabuhung, F. R. (2021). Saksi Mahkota Sebagai Alat Bukti dalam Perkara Pidana Serta Perlindungan Hukum terhadap Saksi Mahkota. Lex Crimen, 10 (7) (33-37).

Kando, R., Karauawan, D. E. S., & Jumiran, J. (2024). The witness and victim protection agency's strategy for protecting justice collaborators in the murder of law enforcement officers (a case study of the Murder of Brigadier Joshua Hutabarat). Journal of Law, Politic and Humanities, 4(5), 1527-1535.

Lasaka, M. (2023). Ius constituendum of electronic evidence arrangement in criminal procedure law. Jurnal Legalitas, 16(2), 154-166.

Marbun, R., Mulyadi, M., & Rosalina, F. (2021). Hukum acara pidana: landasan filosofis, teoretis, dan konseptual. Jakarta: Publica Indonesia Utama.

Marsela, D., Yudhistira, Y., & Fawaid, B. (2024). Legal protection of consumers in online business: a criminal law perspective in handling fraud and identity theft. Research Horizon, 4(3), 99–106

Nafri, M., & Maisa, M. (2022). Comparison of the Indonesian law system and the dutch legal system in handling the crime of corruption. Omnibus Law Journal, 2(1), 1-11.

Naik, N., Hameed, B. M., Shetty, D. K., Swain, D., Shah, M., Paul, R., ... & Somani, B. K. (2022). Legal and ethical consideration in artificial intelligence in healthcare: who takes responsibility? Frontiers in surgery, 9(2), 312-322.

Perezhniak, B., Balobanova, D., Timofieieva, L., Tavlui, O., & Poliuk, Y. (2021). The right to a fair trial: conceptual rethinking in an era of quarantine restrictions. Amazonia Investiga, 10(38), 168-177.

Rika W. (2023). Kedudukan justice collaborator dalam peradilan pidana pembunuhan berencana pada kasus Richard Eliezer. At-Tawassuth: Jurnal Ekonomi Islam, 8(1): 1–19.

Rismilda, M. A. (2023). Eksistensi justice collaborator dalam mengungkap suatu tindak pidana berdasarkan sema RI No. 4 Tahun 2011. Jurnal Parhesia Universitas Mataram, 1(2), 92-98.

Santiago, F., & Asnawi, M. N. (2024). Pengantar teori hukum: dasar-dasar dan perkembangan teori hukum dari zaman klasik hingga post-modern (volume I). Jakarta: Kencana Prenada Media Group.

Saputra, R., Lufsiana., Dharma S, T. (2025). Reformasi hukum acara pidana: menyongsong KUHAP baru. Tasikmalaya: Langgam Pustaka.

Semendawai, A. H. (2016). Penetapan status justice collaborator bagi tersangka atau terdakwa dalam perspektif hak asasi manusia. Padjadjaran Jurnal Ilmu Hukum (Journal of Law), 3(3), 468-490.

Widiyono, T. (2022). Legal Justice Discourse on Land Rights in the Indonesian Constitution. Research Horizon, 2(3), 402–416

Yahman, Y., Prasetyo, D. I., Rosmaya, I., Hidayat, A., Kunarso, K., & Hakiki, A. (2023). The crown witness’s objectivity in evidence system of Indonesian criminal law. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Juridica, 19(2), 176-187.