Draft Bill on Ombudsman Propose Expansion of Own-Motion Investigations

Commission II of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (“DPR RI”) is considering resuming deliberations on amendments to Law No. 37 of 2008 on the Ombudsman, as amended by Law No. 1 of 2026 on Criminal Law Adjustments (collectively referred to as “Ombudsman Law”). One of the key proposed amendments is the expansion of the Ombudsman's own motion investigation mechanism as a means of strengthening oversight of public service delivery.

"The strengthening of own-motion investigations is one of the key provisions included in the draft amendments to the Ombudsman Law prepared by the Legislative Body (Baleg) of the DPR," said Esti Budiyarti, Head of the Legal Bureau of the Ombudsman.

The proposed amendments also cover revisions to the Ombudsman's institutional status, organizational structure, investigative powers, regional representative offices, and the enforcement of Ombudsman recommendations. These changes are intended to align the Ombudsman's role with the increasing complexity of Indonesia's public service system, including the ongoing digitalization of government services.

"At present, there is no updated draft. The deliberations are still based on the version prepared by the DPR's Legislative Body," she added.