Urgensi Bantuan Hukum dalam Pembaharuan Hukum Acara Pidana di Indonesia
Perspektif Due Process of Law dan Equality Before the Law
Keywords:
Criminal Procedure Reform, Due Process, Equality, Legal AidAbstract
This study examines the urgency of legal aid in the reform of criminal procedural law in Indonesia from the perspectives of Due Process of Law and Equality Before the Law. Legal aid is a fundamental element of a modern rule of law state because it ensures fair protection and equal opportunity for individuals facing coercive state power in criminal proceedings. However, despite normative guarantees under the 1945 Constitution, Law Number 16 of 2011 on Legal Aid, and Law Number 20 of 2025 on the Criminal Procedure Code, practical implementation remains constrained by unequal distribution of advocates, limited institutional capacity, low public legal literacy, and inadequate funding. This research aims to analyze the strategic position of legal aid in criminal justice reform and formulate policy directions that are more responsive to citizens’ rights. The study employs a qualitative method with a normative juridical approach through statutory, conceptual, and case analyses supported by secondary legal materials. The findings indicate that legal aid is not merely a social assistance program or litigation service, but a constitutional requirement to guarantee procedural fairness and substantive equality. Strengthening legal aid from the earliest stage of criminal proceedings, improving service quality standards, expanding access in remote regions, and integrating digital legal services are essential components of meaningful reform. The study concludes that criminal procedural reform focused solely on efficiency risks creating a faster yet less just system, whereas legal aid-centered reform can strengthen public trust, human rights protection, and democratic legitimacy in Indonesia’s criminal justice system.
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