"Formulating a criminal code in a country with many ethnicities, religious beliefs, and cultures is not an easy thing," Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights, Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, said in Banda Aceh, Aceh, on Tuesday.
He said several issues in the new Criminal Code have caused controversy in the community.
For example, he said, when his ministry socialized the adultery article in the criminal code bill, public opinion emerged that it was too intrusive in personal matters.
However, at the same time, people in West Sumatra consider the article too weak because it is a complaint offense, not an ordinary offense.
According to Hiariej, the controversial article actually protects individuals from the arbitrariness of law enforcement officers.
"Means that for those who already have family, the ones who can report it are just the husbands or wives," he explained.
The next issue is the challenge of changing everyone's mindset on the new criminal code, from the general public to law enforcement personnel.
All along, people have considered law as retaliation, or lex talionis, he said.
However, the modern law paradigm no longer uses criminal law as a tool to impose revenge, he pointed out.
According to the schedule, information on the new Criminal Code would be disseminated at 16 tertiary educational institutions in some provinces.
Related news: New Criminal Code must not be used to prosecute journalists: PWI
Related news: Govt apprises US, domestic business actors of new Criminal Code
Translator: M Zulfikar, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
