The Religious Cosmology of Restorative Justice in Article 51 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (Law No. 1 of 2023) as a Development of Criminal Law Science

Pribadi Atma; Anthon Susanto; Dewi Yustia

doi:10.47134/ijlj.v3i2.5016

Authors

Pribadi Atma Universitas Pasudan
Anthon F. Susanto Universitas Pasudan
Dewi Asri Yustia Universitas Pasudan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47134/ijlj.v3i2.5016

Keywords:

Postmodern Jurisprudence, Restorative Justice, Spiritual–Pluralistic Law, Hermeneutics, Religious Cosmology, Indonesian Criminal Code 2023

Abstract

This research aims to construct a philosophical interpretation of Article 51 of Indonesia’s Criminal Code (Law No. 1 of 2023) through the perspective of restorative justice and religious cosmology. The objective is to reveal how the provision on obedience to authority embodies a deeper spiritual logic that links legal responsibility to moral consciousness. Using a juridical–philosophical and sociological approach, this study applies hermeneutic analysis inspired by Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur to interpret the text as a dynamic encounter between law, ethics, and spirituality. The analysis identifies that obedience in Article 51 should not be viewed as mechanical compliance but as dialogical accountability, where conscience and authority interact in a process of moral reasoning. The findings demonstrate that law, when interpreted through the cosmology of restorative justice, transforms from an instrument of control into a medium of ethical restoration and reconciliation. Within Indonesia’s pluralistic legal culture, this approach reaffirms the ontological meaning of law as a bridge between human fragility and divine order. The study concludes that the integration of restorative values—such as empathy, forgiveness, and reconciliation—within the criminal justice system reflects Indonesia’s indigenous wisdom, exemplified in communities like Baduy, Naga, and Ciptagelar. Article 51 thus represents not merely a normative rule but a hermeneutic symbol of Indonesia’s religious cosmology, calling for a jurisprudence that rehumanizes justice through the unity of law, morality, and spirituality.

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