Researchers Sue Over Alleged Flaws in Indonesia's Police Law Formation

A researcher and a university student have formally challenged Indonesia's newly enacted Police Law (UU Polri) by filing a judicial review petition with the Constitutional Court. The lawsuit, registered on Wednesday, argues that the legislative process for the law, which was passed on June 9, was fundamentally flawed due to a disregard for transparency and public involvement.

The petitioners, identified as Zulfikar Putra Utama, a researcher at the Indonesia Parliamentary Center (IPC), and Muhammad Ezra Suhaeri, an active student and Chairman of the Student Senate at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, have registered their case under number 251/PUU-XXIV/2026. Their petition asserts that the formation of the Police Law did not adhere to the constitutional requirements for lawmaking. They strongly suspect that the legislation process ignored crucial principles and procedures, including openness, effectiveness, efficiency, and public participation.

“

The drafting of the Police Law completely excluded Baleg from carrying out its harmonization function.

A key point of contention is the alleged omission of the crucial harmonization stage involving the Legislation Body (Baleg). According to Indonesian law, any bill initiated by the House of Representatives (DPR) must undergo harmonization, refinement, and finalization by Baleg. However, the petitioners claim that the Police Law bill was not submitted to Baleg for this essential harmonization process before being proposed as an initiative bill in the plenary session on May 20, 2026. "The drafting of the Police Law completely excluded Baleg from carrying out its harmonization function," the petitioners stated in their filing.

Zulfikar emphasized that harmonization is a mandatory step, serving as the gateway for a bill to gain legitimacy as an official DPR proposal. "Because harmonization is a mandatory stage, the quality of its implementation directly influences the quality of the overall legislative process," he argued. The exclusion of Baleg, an institutional instrument designed to ensure legislative quality, meant it lost the opportunity to fulfill its constitutional role. The preliminary hearing for this case was held on Tuesday, presided over by Chief Justice Suhartoyo, who, along with fellow justices, provided notes on the petition. The applicants are requesting the court to suspend the Police Law's effectiveness and declare its formation unconstitutional.

“

Because harmonization is a mandatory stage, the quality of its implementation directly influences the quality of the overall legislative process.