THE APPOINTMENT OF JUDGES IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: BETWEEN QUASI-JUDGMENT AND RES JUDICATA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LEGAL CERTAINTY

Paskalis Bisma Suarlembit (Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Cahaya Wulandari (Universitas Negeri Semarang)

Ajudikasi : Jurnal Ilmu Hukum
Vol. 9 No. 2 (2025): Ajudikasi : Jurnal Ilmu Hukum

Restorative Justice (RJ) in the 2025 Draft Criminal Procedure Code (RKUHAP) offers an alternative to resolving criminal cases outside of court through agreements between perpetrators, victims, and law enforcement officials. However, the judge's decision on the outcome of RJ has sparked debate regarding its legal force and certainty as a final res judicata decision, as well as protection of the ne bis in idem principle. This study aims to analyze the legal force of the judge's decision in the RJ mechanism according to the 2025 RKUHAP and its implications for the ne bis in idem principle. The method used is normative juridical analysis through the analysis of regulations and the latest legal literature. The results show that the judge's decision in RJ does not fully meet the requirements of a binding final decision, thus potentially causing legal uncertainty and opening up the possibility of retrial. It is necessary to strengthen the norms in the 2025 RKUHAP so that the judge's decision in RJ has permanent legal force and maximally protects the principle of ne bis in idem.