Greenation International Journal of Law and Social Sciences
Vol. 4 No. 4 (2026): (GIJLSS) Greenation International Journal of Law and Social Sciences (September

Punished Twice: Ne Bis in Idem between Dayak Kenyah Customary Sanctions and State Penal Liability

Aris Irawan (Universitas Borneo Tarakan, Kalimantan Utara, Indonesia.)
Fadhli Muhaimin Ishaq (Universitas Pamulang, Banten, Indonesia.)
Ishaq Ishaq (UIN Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi, Jambi, Indonesia.)



Article Info

Publish Date
29 Oct 2026

Abstract

Indonesia’s Criminal Code (Law Number 1 of 2023), effective since January 2026, recognises living law as a basis for criminal liability. However, this recognition does not automatically protect individuals from state prosecution after completing customary sanctions for conduct also criminalised by the Code. This article examines this problem through a documentary analysis of Dayak Kenyah customary justice in North Kalimantan. It employs doctrinal research combining statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches, drawing on the United States dual sovereignty doctrine and Sarawak’s Native Courts. The analysis identifies a structural paradox: Article 2’s residual recognition of customary offences leaves sanctions for overlapping statutory offences without automatic ne bis in idem protection. It proposes a graduated interlock model under which completed customary sanctions would bar prosecution for minor and complaint-based offences and require sentencing credit for serious offences. Recognition would depend on identity of act and offender, functional equivalence of sanctions, completion, and compatibility with human rights. The model provides a framework for coordinating customary and state justice through prosecutorial and sentencing guidelines, protecting against double punishment while preserving accountability for serious offences.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

GIJLSS

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

Greenation International Journal of Law and Social Sciences (GIJLSS) is a journal that uses a blind peer-review model that can be accessed online. GIJLSS aims to publish a journal containing quality articles that will be able to contribute thoughts from theoretical and empirical perspectives for the ...