Penal Culture and Judicial Responses to Environmental Crimes: Lessons from Indonesian Environmental Courts

Ridwan Arifin; Christina Noelia Umbría; Izan Mateo Cassandro

doi:10.15294/ijel.v5i1.45608

Authors

Ridwan Arifin Faculty of Law, Universitas Negeri Semarang Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9744-588X
Christina Noelia Umbría Sociedad Civil de Derecho y Políticas Públicas (SOCIPOL), Barcelona Author https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6133-9585
Izan Mateo Cassandro Sociedad Civil de Derecho y Políticas Públicas (SOCIPOL), Barcelona Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7098-1151

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15294/ijel.v5i1.45608

Keywords:

Penal Culture, Environmental Crime, Environmental Courts, Judicial Decision-Making, Sustainable Development

Abstract

Environmental crimes in Indonesia—such as illegal logging, land burning, and industrial pollution—continue to threaten ecological sustainability despite the existence of comprehensive environmental legislation. While much scholarship focuses on regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, limited attention has been paid to the penal culture shaping judicial responses to environmental offenses. Penal culture refers to the underlying norms, values, and institutional attitudes that influence how punishment is interpreted and applied within the criminal justice system.

This article examines how penal culture influences judicial decision-making in Indonesian environmental courts. Using a socio-legal approach, the study analyzes selected environmental crime cases decided by Indonesian courts, focusing on judicial reasoning, sentencing patterns, and the role of criminal sanctions in environmental protection. The research draws on case law analysis, statutory interpretation, and relevant doctrinal literature to identify how judges conceptualize environmental harm, corporate liability, and the objectives of punishment. The findings suggest that Indonesian courts demonstrate a mixed penal culture. On one hand, certain decisions reflect a deterrence-oriented approach through the imposition of fines, imprisonment, and corporate sanctions. On the other hand, many judgments reveal a cautious or moderate penal orientation, where environmental harm is treated within conventional criminal law frameworks rather than as a distinct ecological injustice. This tension affects the consistency and effectiveness of environmental crime enforcement. The article argues that strengthening environmental protection requires a transformation of penal culture toward a more ecologically responsive and sustainability-oriented judicial perspective. Such a shift would emphasize environmental harm, corporate accountability, and restorative principles aligned with sustainable development goals. By highlighting the role of judicial culture in environmental enforcement, this study contributes to broader debates on environmental criminal law and sustainable governance in Indonesia.

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