Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Law Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej has stressed that the draft Bill on the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP Bill) is based on the philosophy of protecting human rights from arbitrary actions.
"When we talk about the rights of victims, suspects, women, witnesses, and people with disabilities, we will accommodate them all," he said.
Hiariej made the statement during a discussion with human rights activist Haris Azhar at the Indonesian Islamic University (UII) in Yogyakarta on Saturday, according to a press release issued on Sunday.
He noted that the Criminal Procedure Code involves the competing interests of two parties — the suer and the accused — and that the bill seeks to uphold neutrality so the authority of law enforcement officials does not conflict with human rights.
"To balance the authority of the police and prosecutors, which is very large, we must strengthen and place advocates on the same level as police and prosecutors," he remarked.
Under the bill, he explained, advocates would play an essential role, meaning anyone undergoing a legal process must be accompanied by legal counsel.
He acknowledged that the current KUHAP focuses more on law enforcement authority than on human rights protections.
The draft bill, he said, is guided by the principle of due process, ensuring the protection of individual rights and that law enforcement is carried out according to KUHAP regulations.
The deputy minister also affirmed that the government is open to public input.
"We, the government and the House of Representatives, must be open to receiving and considering input," he said.
Meanwhile, Azhar argued that for years the Criminal Procedure Code has been outdated, both in terminology and criminal concepts, and has been applied unprofessionally, with weak restorative justice provisions.
"It must be based on truth. The truth has to be revealed even during the investigation stage, because investigations use the state's money," Azhar said.
