Redefining the Role of Judges in Achieving Substantive Justice in Corruption Cases
- Authors
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Nur Azizah
Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Author
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Dewi Lestari
Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Putri Amalia
Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim, Malang, Indonesia
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Nabila Zahra
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Malaysia
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Salma Khairunnisa
Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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- Keywords:
- Reconstruction, Role of Judges, Substantive Justice, Corruption Cases, Paradigm Shift
- Abstract
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Substantive justice in corruption cases can only be achieved if judges dare to redefine themselves as reflective and transformative actors. This study aims to analyse and formulate a reimagining of the judge’s role in achieving substantive justice in corruption cases in Indonesia. This study employs a juridical-normative approach, enriched by a socio-legal perspective, within an exploratory-analytical qualitative research design. The findings unequivocally challenge the judicial orthodoxy that positions judges merely as enforcers of norms, by asserting that in corruption cases, a rigidly neutral stance risks reproducing structural injustice. Thus, the reconstruction of the judge’s role as an architect of substantive justice is no longer an option, but a normative and ethical imperative. This study offers a novel approach through a critical synthesis of judicial independence, legal politics, and a sentencing paradigm that positions judges as reflective actors who dare to interpret the law progressively while remaining accountable, thereby simultaneously integrating deterrence, the recovery of state losses, and social justice. The implications call for fundamental reform of the penal system, the strengthening of protections for judicial independence against the pressures of populism and power, and a transformation of legal education that is no longer merely legalistic.
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- 2026-03-01
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nur Azizah, Dewi Lestari, Putri Amalia, Nabila Zahra, Salma Khairunnisa (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
