Quo Vadis Hak Partisipasi di Bidang Lingkungan: Tinjauan terhadap Putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi: Quo Vadis Environmental Participation Rights: A Review of Indonesian Constitutional Court’s Decision

Andika Putra (Fakultas Hukum, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Deka Oktaviana (Fakultas Hukum, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)

Jurnal Konstitusi
Vol. 22 No. 2 (2025)

Public participation is recognized as a fundamental pillar of procedural environmental rights under both national and international legal frameworks. Nevertheless, the protection of public participation rights in Indonesia has experienced significant shifts following the enactment of regulations potentially diminishing public involvement in environmental governance. This article aims to map and critically analyze the evolving regulatory dynamics and the Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence concerning public participation in environmental matters. Employing normative legal research with statutory and case-law approaches, this study identifies a normative regression in the substantive value of public participation, particularly after the enactment of Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation. However, through its constitutional review function, the Constitutional Court has consistently underscored the government’s obligation to ensure meaningful participation, emphasizing that public involvement should not be reduced to merely a procedural formality. Nevertheless, the Court remains substantially constrained by judicial formalities, potentially limiting civil society’s capacity to advocate effectively for sustainable and equitable environmental participation.