Preliminary Examining Judges in Indonesian Criminal Procedure Reform: Lessons from Australia’s Committal Hearings

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15294/ijcls.v11i1.25017

Keywords:

Preliminary Examining Judge, Criminal Procedure Law, Committal Hearing, Draft Criminal Procedure Code, Protection of Human Rights

Abstract

This study examines Indonesia’s Preliminary Examining Judges (PEJ) and compares them with Australia’s committal hearings. We ask whether the PEJ can better protect human rights and prevent abuses of authority in Indonesia’s criminal justice system. Using a qualitative comparative approach, we analyze the PEJ in the 2012 Draft Criminal Procedure Code and Australia’s committal hearings, drawing on statutes, scholarly articles, and related regulations. We find that although the 2025 draft Code did not adopt the PEJ, the concept remains relevant and worth implementing. The Preliminary Examining Judge can improve the efficiency of the legal system by supervising investigations and ensuring only well-founded cases proceed to court. Operating at the pre-investigation stage with broad powers to direct inquiries and name suspects, the PEJ reflects the inquisitorial civil law tradition. By contrast, Australia’s committal hearings occur post-investigation and assess the evidentiary sufficiency for higher courts, consistent with the common-law adversarial model.

Author Biographies

  • Kukuh Dwi Kurniawan, Doctoral Student, Faculty of Law, Universitas Diponegoro

    He is a permanent lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Indonesia. He earned both his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, specializing in criminal law, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in law at Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP). The courses he teaches include Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Special Criminal Law, and Crime Development Studies. As a scholar, Kukuh is actively involved in academic research and has published numerous articles in national and international journals. His publications are indexed in Google Scholar (Author ID: QLYMZ8oAAAAJ) and Scopus (Author ID: 57827299300). His research interests focus on contemporary issues in criminal law, reform of the criminal justice system, and interdisciplinary approaches to crime prevention and legal development.

  • Pujiyono Pujiyono, Faculty of Law, Universitas Diponegoro

    He is a prominent Professor at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), Indonesia. He is a highly distinguished scholar specializing in criminal law, with a particular focus on criminal justice system reform and corporate criminal liability. As an active and influential researcher, he has authored numerous academic works published in top-tier national and international journals. His extensive publications are widely cited and indexed in Google Scholar (Author ID: 4c0PM7EAAAAJ) and Scopus (Author ID: 57214329039). His research interests span a broad spectrum of legal issues, including restorative justice, medical law, anti-corruption policies, and the intersection of law and technology, and contribute significantly to the modernization of the Indonesian legal framework.

  • Irma Cahyaningtyas, Faculty of Law, Universitas Diponegoro

    She is a permanent lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), Indonesia. She is an expert in criminal law, with a profound focus on the juvenile justice system and human rights. As a dedicated scholar, she is actively involved in academic research and has published numerous articles in reputable national and international journals. Her research interests primarily revolve around restorative justice, penal mediation, child protection within the legal system, and contemporary criminal policy reforms. Her extensive academic contributions are well-recognized and indexed in Google Scholar (Author ID: uq7UN4gAAAAJ) and Scopus (Author ID: 57203358041), reflecting her significant impact on legal discourse and the development of a more humanist justice system in Indonesia.

  • Hasnan Bachtiar, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University

    He is a Ph.D. candidate in the Faculty of Arts and Education at Deakin University, Australia, specializing in the interdisciplinary study of religion, law, and politics. He serves as a lecturer in the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Indonesia. His research interests include Islamic civilizational populism, informal legal systems, and the interplay between religion and politics in Southeast Asia. Hasnan has contributed to various academic publications, including co-authoring a chapter titled "Indonesia: Islamist Civilizational Populism" in the book Civilizational Populism in Democratic Nation-States. He has also worked as a research assistant at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization and has been involved in research projects funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 program.

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Published

2026-05-04

Article ID

25017

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Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): Indonesia J. Crim. L. Studies (May, 2026)

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Kukuh Dwi Kurniawan, Pujiyono Pujiyono, Irma Cahyaningtyas, Hasnan Bachtiar (Author)

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How to Cite

Kukuh Dwi Kurniawan, Pujiyono Pujiyono, Irma Cahyaningtyas, and Hasnan Bachtiar. 2026. “Preliminary Examining Judges in Indonesian Criminal Procedure Reform: Lessons from Australia’s Committal Hearings”. IJCLS (Indonesian Journal of Criminal Law Studies) 11 (1): 175-212. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijcls.v11i1.25017.