Reformulation of the Regulations on the Right to Freedom of Expression for Academics in the Digital Space in Enforcing the Crime of Defamation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47134/jcl.v3i3.1.5880Keywords:
Academic Freedom of Expression, Defamation, Digital Space, Legal ReformulationAbstract
This study aims to analyze the problematic enforcement of defamation offenses against academic expression in the digital space and formulate a model for reformulating its regulations based on the protection of academic freedom from the perspective of human rights and a democratic rule of law. The 1945 Republic of Indonesia Constitution, Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights, Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions, the National Criminal Code, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are all reviewed as part of the normative juridical research method with a statutory and conceptual approach, and relevant Constitutional Court decisions. The research results indicate that Indonesian positive law still faces problems in the form of a dualism of the legal regime between the Criminal Code and the ITE Law, the ambiguity of elements of offenses, such as attacking honor, accusing someone, and public knowledge, and the absence of normative parameters capable of distinguishing scientific criticism from personal attacks. These conditions have triggered the criminalization of lecturers, researchers, experts, and observers, which has resulted in the emergence of a chilling effect and overcriminalization of academic freedom in the digital space. This study proposes a model of ius constituendum through a reformulation of Article 27A of the ITE Law, adding explicit exceptions for academic expression conducted in scientific forums, research publications, and opinions based on scientific methodology, as long as they are conducted in good faith and in the public interest. The reformulation includes the implementation of a balancing test, specific evidentiary standards for scientific expression, indicators of good faith academic criticism, and strengthening non-penal settlement mechanisms through the right of reply, scientific correction, and reputation restoration. This model is expected to achieve proportional legal certainty between reputation protection and academic freedom of expression as pillars of digital democracy.
References
Absari, C. (2025). Kebebasan berekspresi di era meme: Dinamika budaya, kreativitas, dan etika digital. Hudan Lin Naas: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Humaniora, 6(2), 175–192. https://doi.org/10.28944/hudanlinnaas.v6i2.2340
Anas, A. M. A. (2020). Penanggulangan tindak pidana pencemaran nama baik melalui media sosial dalam perspektif kriminologi. Al-Azhar Islamic Law Review, 2(2), 87–97. https://doi.org/10.37146/ailrev.v2i2.41
Anggraeniko, L. S. (2023). Menakar realitas makar dan hak konstitusional pada kegiatan akademik. Jurnal Hukum In Concreto, 1–30.
Arief, S. F. (2022). Literature review: Analisis metode perancangan sistem informasi akademik berbasis web. Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Komputer Fakultas Ilmu Komputer Universitas Al Asyariah Mandar, 87–93.
Asmadi, E. (2021). Rumusan delik dan pemidanaan bagi tindak pidana pencemaran nama baik di media sosial. De Lega Lata: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, 16–32.
Bahri, S. L. (2025). Fenomena polarisasi politik dan kebebasan ekspresi: Kajian yuridis terhadap penegakan hukum di media sosial. Edu Research, 1315–1325.
Fatimah, S. A. (2025). Perempuan, digitalisasi, dan kebebasan berekspresi: Kajian hukum tentang perlindungan hak asasi di ruang siber. Entita: Jurnal Pendidikan Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial dan Ilmu-Ilmu Sosial, 599–616.
Hadijaya, D. (2025). Kriminalisasi dalam UU ITE: Antara perlindungan hukum dan pembungkaman kebebasan berekspresi. Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan Kreatif, 62.
Lukum, A. F. (2025). Perlindungan hak asasi manusia dalam penegakan hukum: Studi empiris terhadap kasus kriminalisasi aktivis. Perkara: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum dan Politik, 712–730.
Muthia, F. R., & Arifin, R. (2019). Kajian hukum pidana pada kasus kejahatan mayantara (cybercrime) dalam perkara pencemaran nama baik di Indonesia. RESAM Jurnal Hukum, 5(1), 21–39.
Nasution, L. (2020). Hak kebebasan berpendapat dan berekspresi dalam ruang publik di era digital. Adalah: Buletin Hukum dan Keadilan, 4(3), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.15408/adalah.v4i3.16200
Olivia, D. (2020). Hakikat kebebasan berekspresi dalam perspektif hukum hak asasi manusia. Rio Law Jurnal, 12.
Rahardjo, R. D. (2022). Kesesuaian Permenkominfo Nomor 05 Tahun 2020 dengan prinsip kebebasan berpendapat dan berekspresi dalam hak asasi manusia. Bureaucracy Journal: Indonesia Journal of Law and Social-Political Governance, 472–486.
Ramadhan, G. R. (2024). Penanganan tindak pidana pencemaran nama baik yang dihubungkan dengan KUHP. Al-Zayn: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial & Hukum, 51–64.
Selian, D. L., & Melina, C. (2018). Kebebasan berekspresi di era demokrasi: Catatan penegakan hak asasi manusia. Lex Scientia Law Review, 2(2), 189–198. https://doi.org/10.15294/lesrev.v2i2.27589
Simamora, F. P. (2020). Kajian hukum pidana terhadap perbuatan pencemaran nama baik melalui media sosial. Jurnal Retentum, 12.
Sinaga, H. A. (2026). Penerapan undang-undang tentang informasi dan transaksi elektronik (UU ITE) dalam kebebasan berpendapat dan berekspresi. Iuris Studia: Jurnal Kajian Hukum, 172–180.
Wiratraman, H. P. (2024). Two decades of academic freedom in Indonesia: The challenges of the rise of authoritarianism in its new model. Jurnal HAM, 143.
Wiratraman, H. P. (2025). Represi terhadap kebebasan akademik dalam politik elektoral Indonesia. Veritas et Justitia, 293–320.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Erdian, Boy Nurdin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
