<![CDATA[The increasing number of narcotics abuse cases in Indonesia has encouraged the government to adopt a restorative justice approach that prioritizes rehabilitation over imprisonment for eligible narcotics offenders. The Attorney General’s Guideline Number 18 of 2021 serves as the primary legal framework governing the implementation of rehabilitation through legal proceedings for narcotics users, addicts, and victims of narcotics abuse. This study aims to examine the juridical basis, legal relevance, and practical implementation of rehabilitation under the Guideline, as well as to identify the legal challenges encountered in its application. This research employs a normative juridical method using statutory and conceptual approaches. The study analyzes primary legal materials, including Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics and the Attorney General’s Guideline Number 18 of 2021, supported by secondary legal materials from recent scholarly publications related to restorative justice, rehabilitation, and narcotics law. The findings indicate that rehabilitation through legal proceedings is legally consistent with the principles of restorative justice and the ultimum remedium doctrine, particularly for narcotics users requiring medical and social recovery rather than punitive sanctions. Nevertheless, the implementation of the Guideline continues to face several challenges, including the absence of clear legal benchmarks distinguishing narcotics addicts, abusers, and victims, inconsistent interpretations among law enforcement agencies, dependence on the Integrated Assessment Team’s recommendations, limited rehabilitation facilities, and inadequate post-rehabilitation monitoring. These issues may reduce legal certainty and create disparities in law enforcement practices. Therefore, strengthening legal standards, improving institutional coordination, and developing more objective assessment criteria are essential to enhance the effectiveness and consistency of restorative justice-based rehabilitation within Indonesia’s criminal justice system]]>
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