RPP on Restorative Justice Is Awaiting Presidential Approval

The Ministry of Law has finalized the draft Regulation of the Government (“RPP”) on restorative justice. The RPP serves as an implementing regulation of Law No. 20 of 2025 on the Criminal Procedure Code (Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Acara Pidana - “KUHAP”), which came into effect in early 2026.

Dhahana Putra, Director General of Law and Regulations at the Ministry of Law, stated that the RPP is now awaiting the President’s signature before it can enter into force.

“We hope it will be enacted soon,” he said in an interview with Hukumonline on Wednesday (3 June).

He further explained that the RPP sets out the procedures for implementing restorative justice mechanisms at every stage of the criminal justice process, including the investigation, prosecution, trial, and execution of criminal sanctions.

He further stated that the draft regulation also sets out the requirements for the application of restorative justice. These include, among others, that the offender is a first-time offender, the offense carries a maximum penalty of no more than five years’ imprisonment, and the parties have reached a settlement agreement.

“Restorative justice is also not applicable to serious criminal offenses, such as narcotics-related crimes, except in cases involving drug users,” Dhahana said.

Dhahana explained that the RPP will serve as the principal reference for the implementation of restorative justice mechanisms, which have thus far been governed by internal regulations issued by various law enforcement institutions, including regulations of the Indonesian National Police Force (Polri), the Attorney General’s Office, and the Supreme Court (“MA”).