Police Law Revision Should Have Been Faster

Police Law Amendments Approved by DPR

Police Law Revision Should Have Been – On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the House of Representatives (DPR) approved changes to the National Police Law. The updated legislation includes multiple provisions, though its most notable adjustments involve extending the duration of police service and establishing new protocols for assigning active officers to government departments.

Deputy Law Minister Clarifies Timeline

Final discussions between the DPR and the government were expedited, taking place over a short span of less than two weeks. Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, the Deputy Law Minister, dismissed claims that the process was rushed. He emphasized that the draft had been under review since 2024, stating, “It should have been faster,” during an interview in South Jakarta on June 10, 2026.

“The law’s passage wasn’t rushed; we had been working on it for over a year,” Hiariej remarked.

Alignment with Criminal Procedure Code

Hiariej elaborated on the negotiations during a sustained Q&A session, where he shared the final document but refused to distribute it. His reasoning was that the draft lacked an official number until formal promulgation. The speed of the process, he explained, was driven by the need to harmonize the police law with the newly finalized Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP). “The police’s primary role is law enforcement, so resolving this first was essential,” he said.

Originally, the Police Law was slated to be enacted before the KUHAP, but the government opted to delay its approval to ensure consistency with the procedural code. This decision underscores the interconnected nature of legal frameworks in shaping policing practices.

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