Hard Work not Enough

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa (second right) and East Java Deputy Governor Emil Dardak (black shirt) shakes hands with Riau Governor Syamsuar and Riau Deputy Governor Edy Natar Nasution, accompanied by Deputy Chairperson of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Saut Situmorang before leaving the KPK detention house in the KPK Red and White Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (20/2/2019). The newly appointed three regional heads, namely the Governor and Deputy Governor of Riau, the Governor and Deputy Governor of East Java, and the Governor of Jambi Fachrori Umar, visited the KPK to have an audience with KPK leaders regarding efforts to prevent corruption.

Indonesia ranks 62nd out of 126 countries on the 2019 Rule of Law Index issued by the World Justice Project (WJP). Although Indonesia\'s positions rose, its scores remained the same over the past few years. The legal enforcement index has been issued by the WJP since 2008.

In compiling the index, Indonesia is grouped in the East Asia and Pacific region along with 14 other countries: Mongolia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

For six years now, Indonesia\'s total scores on the law performance index have not changed much at 0.52 and its ranking in the regional group have remained consistent at eight or nine of 15 countries. The ranking at the global level also tends to be in the middle, depending on the number of countries surveyed. It is at 62nd place in 2019, better than 2017/2018, which saw it rank 63rd out of 113 countries. In 2016, Indonesia ranked 61st out of 113 countries, while in 2015, the country ranked 54th out of 102 countries.

The WJP issued the law index with a mission to realize a world comprised of rule of law communities delivering justice, opportunity and peace. There are nine factors assessed: regulatory enforcement, constraints on government powers, eradication of corruption, recognition of basic rights, the openness of government, enforcement of order and security, realization of civil justice, settlement of criminal justice, and informal justice. However, informal justice does not fully determine the index rating.

This daily on Saturday reported that with regard to constraints on the government’s power, as stated in the Constitution, Indonesia’s position actually improved, although many countries experienced a decline and a rise in authoritarianism.

Improvements also occurred in the eradication of corruption, fulfillment of basic rights of citizens, enforcement of rules and in cases of criminal justice. On the other hand, the realization of civil (social) justice and enforcement of order and security fell from the previous year. This year, the openness of the Indonesian government showed no improvement.

The condition of law enforcement in this country, which has been the same for the last few years, indicates that the performance of the law has not developed much. Law enforcement in Indonesia, especially in order and security for the community, as well as social justice, is still vulnerable.

The government is not fully open. Law enforcement and justice are the result of intense interactions between government, law enforcers, political elites and society. Community compliance with the law, on the one hand, greatly determines the success of law enforcement. On the other hand, law enforcers, political elites and government institutions should also provide examples of legal compliance and support for justice for the people.

Without strong interaction between these parties, law enforcement in this country will not improve.