At the global level, conceptions of how to protect victims of crime now extend beyond fulfilling their individual human rights, considering how safeguarding victims’ interests also supports broader social and economic goals. How individual victims are situated within society can determine the full scope of the criminal harm they experience

Therefore, this study asks, ‘What is the position of victims in the contemporary Indonesian criminal justice system?’ and implicitly asks – what should it be? It analyzes why victim identity and status have remained legally and institutionally constrained, even as major legislative reforms have progressed in the last decade. It explores pathways to elevating and empowering victims as ‘actors’ within the justice system in Indonesia and the institutional interests that may support or thwart these.

The objective of this study is to examine the status of the victim within the criminal justice system in Indonesia. We can do this objectively – by looking at how it is defined in legislation – and through subjective inquiry – by examining the views and actions of key institutional actors in the criminal justice process who shape the idea of ‘victim of crime’ and define those victims’ scope of action and rights to redress through system design and practices based on their own normative worldviews. By key institutional actors we mean prosecutor and lawyers of NGOs who may represent victims in the trial process.

This seminar is Dio's Confirmation of Candidature milestone presentation. As such, the presentation is a closed event for RegNet staff, visitors and students only.

About the speaker

Dio Ashar Wicaksana is a PhD scholar at the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University. He earned a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Indonesia and a master's degree in Socio-Legal studies from Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law.

He has been actively engaged in policy-making and research on judicial reform and access to justice concerns during the time he worked with the Indonesian NGO, Indonesia Judicial Research Society (IJRS). He was the Executive Director at IJRS from 2019 to 2023. He currently serves as a lecturer in Constitutional Law and Socio-Legal Studies at Adhyaksa Law School. His PhD research will examine ‘What is the position of victims in the contemporary Indonesian criminal justice system?’

COVID protocols

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This seminar presentation is in-person only. Registration is not required for in-person attendance as neither the ANU nor ACT Health conduct contact tracing any longer.

If you require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan please email regnet.communications@anu.edu.au.

Image credit: Image of Lady Justice, gavel and law books with Indonesian flag in background by mehaniq41; used under Adobe Education License