Media Iuris
Vol. 8 No. 3 (2025): MEDIA IURIS

Redefining the Statute of Limitations in Document Forgery Cases: Implications for Legal Certainty and Criminal Investigations

Aprilianto, Sapta (Unknown)
Prihandono, Yoga (Unknown)
Nugraha, Xavier (Unknown)
Fuady, Muhammad Ikram Nur (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Oct 2025

Abstract

The Constitutional Court Decision No. 118/PUU-XX/2022 redefined the paradigm of the statute of limitations for document forgery offenses in Indonesia. Previously calculated from the date of the offense, it is now determined based on when the forged document is discovered, used, and causes loss. This article examines the legal implications of the court decision on the state of limitations to legal certainty and law enforcement practices, particularly those carried out by the Indonesian National Police. A conceptual and statutory approach is employed to analyze the amendments to Article 79(1) of the Indonesian Criminal Code and the Court’s legal reasoning. The findings indicate that this change enhances legal protection for victims and requires investigators to cumulatively evaluate the elements of “discovery,” “usage,” and “loss” to determine the statute of limitations. The decision has erga omnes effect and serves as a binding precedent and guideline for investigating document forgery cases in Indonesia.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

MI

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

Media Iuris E-ISSN (2621-5225) is an open-access-peer-reviewed legal journal affiliated with the Faculty of Law of Airlangga University, which was published for the first time in 2018 in the online version. The purpose of this journal is as a forum for legal scholars, lawyers and practitioners to ...