Jakarta, LiterasiHukum.com – The government plans to reform the criminal justice system by limiting access to cassation legal remedies to the Supreme Court (MA). Through the new Draft Criminal Procedure Code (RKUHAP), only cases with a criminal threat of more than five years can be submitted for cassation. Cases with a threat of five years or less will be resolved at the appeal level or the High Court. Deputy Minister of Law, Edward OS Hiariej, explained that this policy aims to reduce the burden of cases piling up in the MA, while building a more efficient and comprehensive criminal justice system. "So far, the journey of cases from the first level court to the Supreme Court (MA) can be likened to a paralon pipe, when it should be cone-shaped," said Hiariej in the discussion "Launching the KUHAP Reform Study: Fundamental Things" at STHI Jentera on Monday (15/9/2025). Hiariej emphasized that the public often misunderstands Judicial Review (PK) as a fourth level of justice, even though PK is an extraordinary legal remedy that cannot be used carelessly. MA data shows that the burden of cases continues to increase, from 19,408 in 2021 to 31,138 in 2024, indicating the urgency of this reform.

The Central Role of Judges and Protection of Human Rights in the RKUHAP

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