Reformulation of Corruption Sentencing Policy Based on Substantive Justice

Authors

  • Zahwa Khairunnisa

    Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, Indonesia

    Author

  • Naura Khadijah

    Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan

    Author

  • Raisa Amani

    Universitas Pamulang, South Tangerang, Indonesia

    Author

  • Noor Fatima

    Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam

    Author

Keywords:
Policy Reformulation, Criminalisation of Corruption, Substantive Justice, Extraordinary Crimes, Social Justice
Abstract

Amid the failure of a sentencing paradigm that prioritises formal legality over justice as perceived by the social conscience, the reformulation of corruption sentencing policy grounded in substantive justice has become imperative. This study aims to formulate a concept for reformulating corruption sentencing policy grounded in substantive justice by identifying weaknesses in existing policies and developing an alternative model that is more responsive to society's needs. This study employs a juridical-normative approach enriched by socio-legal methods and an exploratory-analytical qualitative research design. The results indicate that the primary problem with corruption sentencing in Indonesia is not merely a lack of norms or weak sanctions, but rather the failure of the legal system to move beyond the illusion of symbolic firmness, which actually masks its inability to restore public losses and dismantle corrupt power structures. Therefore, policy reformulation grounded in substantive justice must dare to shift the legal centre of gravity from punishing perpetrators to restoring society and restructuring the system. The novelty of this study lies in its proposal of a synthetic framework that not only critiques the dominance of retributivism but also constructively integrates policy rationality and global standards into a measured, context-sensitive sentencing design. The implications demand radical changes to sentencing guidelines, the courage of judges to articulate social impacts, and the repositioning of the state from merely a repressive actor to an agent of restoration.

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Published
2026-03-02
Issue
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): March
Section
Articles
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Copyright (c) 2026 Zahwa Khairunnisa, Naura Khadijah, Raisa Amani, Noor Fatima (Author)

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Reformulation of Corruption Sentencing Policy Based on Substantive Justice. (2026). Indonesian Journal of Corruption and Criminal Justice, 1(1), 24-35. https://ejournal.mahkotascience.org/index.php/ijccj/article/view/8