Journal of Law, Environmental and Justice
Vol. 3 No. 2 (2025): Journal of Law, Environmental and Justice

Ecocide as an Environmental Crime: Urgency for Legal Reform in Indonesia

Widiartana, Gregorius (Unknown)
Setyawan, Vincentius Patria (Unknown)
Anditya , Ariesta Wibisono (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Aug 2025

Abstract

The increasing frequency and scale of environmental destruction in Indonesia, such as deforestation, mining disasters, and pollution of vital ecosystems, reveal the inadequacy of existing environmental criminal law to address crimes with transboundary and long-term ecological impacts. While Indonesian law recognizes environmental violations, it does not yet criminalize ecocide—a grave act of environmental harm—either as an extraordinary crime or as an international offense. This paper aims to explore the urgency of incorporating ecocide as a distinct criminal category in Indonesia’s legal system by analyzing the legal gaps and limitations in current legislation, particularly Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management. Employing a normative juridical method with a comparative legal approach, the study examines developments in countries such as Belgium and France that have begun codifying ecocide, as well as international efforts to include ecocide under the Rome Statute. The research finds that the absence of ecocide in Indonesian criminal law limits the state’s ability to deter and prosecute large-scale environmental crimes effectively. It concludes that the criminalization of ecocide, both nationally and as part of global legal harmonization, is crucial to achieving ecological justice and long-term environmental protection in Indonesia.

Copyrights © 2025






Journal Info

Abbrev

JLEJ

Publisher

Subject

Environmental Science Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

The Journal of Law, Environment and Justice is an open-access, double-blind, peer-reviewed legal journal published by Ius Et Ambientis in March, July and November three times a year. JLEJ is intended as a medium for the dissemination of research results focusing on environmental law issues, ...