Media Hukum Indonesia (MHI)
Vol 4, No 3 (2026): September 2026

The Problematics of Substantive Justice in Law Enforcement Influenced by Social Media Virality from the Perspective of Legal Philosophy

Faiz Naufaldho (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta)
Tamam Naufal Nabil (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Oct 2026

Abstract

The No Viral No Justice phenomenon reflects problems in Indonesian law enforcement, where public attention through social media is perceived to influence law enforcement authorities' responses to legal cases. This situation raises questions concerning equality before the law and the realization of substantive justice, particularly for cases that receive little public attention. This study aims to analyze the influence of social media virality on law enforcement through John Rawls' theory of justice and the principle of equality before the law, as well as to examine substantive justice as a philosophical foundation for law enforcement independent of digital public pressure. This research employs a normative juridical method using statutory and conceptual approaches, supported by qualitative analysis of legal literature. The findings indicate that social media can facilitate public oversight and institutional accountability. However, dependence on virality may create unequal treatment and undermine the objectivity of law enforcement. From the perspective of justice as fairness, legal protection must be provided equally, regardless of a case's popularity. 

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Journal Info

Abbrev

MHI

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

The aims of this journal is to provide a venue for academicians, researchers, and practitioners for publishing the original research articles or review articles. The scope of the articles published in this journal deals with a broad range of topics in the fields of Criminal Law, Civil Law, ...