Indonesia is facing growing concerns over the strength of its legal institutions after the country’s Rule of Law Index score dropped to 0.51 in 2026. Civil society organizations have identified eight critical areas contributing to the decline, including weak government oversight, judicial independence, corruption, and declining protection of fundamental rights.
Indonesia’s commitment to the rule of law is facing renewed scrutiny following the release of the 2026 Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project (WJP).
The latest report shows that Indonesia’s overall score has fallen to 0.51 on a scale ranging from 0 to 1, indicating a decline in the country’s performance in maintaining legal accountability, institutional independence, and equal access to justice.
The findings have raised concerns among civil society organizations, particularly the Coalition for the Rule of Law, which consists of organizations and legal experts working to strengthen democracy and judicial accountability in Indonesia.
On October 22, 2026, the coalition held a public discussion and press conference titled The Rule of Law Under the Shadow of Power: Indonesia’s Rule of Law Report 2025–2026.
During the event, representatives from several organizations discussed the underlying problems reflected in the international assessment.
Their analysis identified eight important dimensions that illustrate the challenges facing Indonesia’s legal system.
1. Weak Checks and Balances on Government Power
One of the most significant concerns involves the declining effectiveness of institutions responsible for supervising government authority.
A functioning democracy requires the executive branch to remain accountable to other institutions, including parliament, the judiciary, and independent oversight bodies.
However, the coalition argues that Indonesia’s political environment has made these checks and balances increasingly ineffective.
Rifqi Assegaf, representing the Institute for Judicial Independence Studies (LeIP) and the Indonesian Jentera School of Law, highlighted the limited role of parliamentary opposition.
More than 80 percent of members of the House of Representatives (DPR) reportedly belong to parties supporting the governing coalition. This political arrangement raises questions about whether parliament can independently scrutinize government decisions.
Concerns have also emerged regarding judicial independence, particularly the political influence surrounding appointments to the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court.
The coalition believes that weakening oversight mechanisms can make it easier for government institutions to exercise authority without sufficient accountability.
2. Persistent Problems with Corruption
Corruption remains another major obstacle to strengthening the rule of law in Indonesia.
According to the coalition, the problem extends beyond individual misconduct and involves broader weaknesses in public accountability across different branches of government.
Almas Sjafrina, Coordinator of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), pointed out that corruption-related indicators remain disappointing across several categories.
These include the conduct of executive officials, members of the judiciary, law enforcement personnel, military institutions, and legislators.
The findings suggest that corruption prevention remains a major challenge throughout Indonesia’s public institutions.
Without stronger oversight, transparent investigations, and consistent enforcement, efforts to improve public integrity may continue to face significant obstacles.
The coalition argues that combating corruption requires more than regulations and formal commitments. Public institutions must demonstrate accountability through their everyday decisions and actions.
3. Limited Government Transparency and Public Access to Information
Transparency is essential for ensuring that government decisions can be monitored by citizens.
However, the coalition identified weaknesses in the availability of public information, particularly regarding legislative processes and access to government documents.
Rizky Argama, Director of the Center for Indonesian Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), highlighted problems involving the publication of proposed legislation and supporting academic documents.
PSHK’s monitoring of the House of Representatives’ official website during 2025 found that 87.1 percent of the 52 priority legislative bills reviewed did not provide either the draft legislation or its academic manuscript.
This situation makes it difficult for citizens, researchers, and civil society organizations to examine proposed laws before they are discussed or approved.
Limited access to legislative information also reduces opportunities for meaningful public participation.
The coalition believes that improving transparency requires government institutions to publish relevant documents consistently and provide citizens with meaningful access to information.
4. Declining Protection of Fundamental Rights
The protection of fundamental human rights is another area where Indonesia has experienced a deterioration in performance.
The coalition highlighted concerns involving freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and the treatment of citizens who criticize government policies.
Sueb Zakaria, representing the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), argued that developments in recent years indicate a growing gap between constitutional guarantees and their implementation.
Although fundamental rights are formally protected under Indonesia’s legal framework, their practical enforcement remains a significant concern.
Restrictions on public expression and the treatment of activists, academics, and civil society groups have contributed to concerns about shrinking civic space.
The coalition also emphasized that legal institutions should protect citizens rather than become instruments that undermine rights already guaranteed by the constitution.
5. Public Security Must Include the Protection of Citizens
Indonesia recorded its strongest performance in the public order and security category, receiving a score of 0.70.
At first glance, this result suggests that the country performs relatively well in maintaining public safety and social stability.
However, the coalition believes that security should not be measured solely through the absence of disorder or the ability of authorities to maintain control.
Arif Maulana, representing the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), highlighted concerns about how security institutions respond to public demonstrations.
He referred to the major protests of August 2025, during which deaths and mass arrests raised questions about the treatment of citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
According to the coalition, peaceful demonstrations and public criticism should be recognized as legitimate democratic activities rather than automatically treated as security threats.
The broader concern is that an excessive security-oriented approach can undermine civil liberties and create tension between law enforcement and the public.
6. Inconsistent Enforcement of Regulations
Having laws and regulations is not enough to establish a strong legal system. Their implementation must also be consistent and effective.
The coalition identified weaknesses in regulatory enforcement, particularly in administrative oversight and environmental protection.
Lasma Natalia H. Panjaitan, Executive Director of the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), highlighted recurring forest and land fires as an example of ineffective preventive enforcement.
She argued that stronger administrative supervision and earlier legal intervention could help prevent environmental damage before it becomes widespread.
The issue demonstrates how weaknesses in regulatory enforcement can have consequences beyond legal institutions, affecting communities, public health, and the environment.
The coalition believes that government agencies must improve monitoring and ensure that violations lead to meaningful legal consequences.
7. Unequal Access to Civil Justice
Civil justice is an important part of the rule of law because it provides individuals and businesses with mechanisms to resolve disputes fairly.
However, access to justice can become limited when legal procedures are expensive, complicated, or difficult to navigate.
The coalition’s assessment identifies civil justice as another area requiring improvement.
Challenges include the accessibility of legal assistance, the efficiency of dispute resolution, and the ability of ordinary citizens to obtain fair treatment through legal institutions.
A legal system cannot be considered fully effective if justice is accessible mainly to people with sufficient financial resources or institutional connections.
Improving civil justice therefore requires more accessible legal services, transparent procedures, and stronger guarantees of equal treatment.
8. Criminal Justice Remains Indonesia’s Weakest Area
Among the eight dimensions assessed by the World Justice Project, criminal justice received Indonesia’s lowest score at 0.37.
This result highlights serious concerns about the effectiveness, fairness, and independence of the criminal justice system.
Criminal justice involves multiple institutions, including the police, prosecutors, courts, and correctional facilities.
Weaknesses in any of these institutions can affect the entire process, from investigation and prosecution to trial and the enforcement of judicial decisions.
The coalition’s broader concerns include institutional accountability, judicial independence, and the consistent application of legal standards.
A strong criminal justice system should ensure that individuals are treated equally before the law, regardless of their political influence, economic position, or social background.
The low score indicates that strengthening criminal justice institutions remains one of Indonesia’s most important legal and governance challenges.
Indonesia’s Rule of Law Performance in 2026
The World Justice Project evaluates countries through eight major dimensions, using a scale from 0 to 1. Higher scores indicate stronger adherence to the rule of law.
The following figures illustrate Indonesia’s performance across the eight dimensions in 2026.
Rule of Law Dimension Score
Order and Security 0.70
Constraints on Government Powers 0.60
Regulatory Enforcement 0.57
Open Government 0.54
Fundamental Rights 0.45
Civil Justice 0.44
Absence of Corruption 0.42
Criminal Justice 0.37
The figures reveal a considerable gap between Indonesia’s strongest and weakest areas.
While public order and security received a relatively high score, criminal justice, corruption prevention, and fundamental rights remain areas of particular concern.
The overall score of 0.51 indicates that improvements are still needed across multiple aspects of governance and legal accountability.
Why the Declining Rule of Law Matters
A country’s legal system plays a central role in maintaining public trust, protecting individual freedoms, and ensuring that government institutions operate within established legal boundaries.
When oversight institutions become weaker, the risk of excessive government power increases.
Similarly, limited transparency can prevent citizens from understanding or challenging public decisions, while inadequate judicial independence may undermine confidence in the fairness of legal proceedings.
The consequences are not limited to courts and government offices. Weak legal institutions can also affect business confidence, investment decisions, environmental protection, and the everyday security of ordinary citizens.
For Indonesia, these challenges are particularly important as the country continues to pursue economic growth and strengthen its international position.
A predictable and accountable legal environment is essential for sustainable development.
Civil Society Groups Call for Stronger Institutional Accountability
The coalition’s assessment emphasizes that improving Indonesia’s rule of law requires more than introducing new regulations.
Institutions responsible for supervising government authority must be able to operate independently. Legislative processes should become more transparent, while law enforcement agencies must demonstrate greater accountability.
The protection of fundamental rights also needs to become a practical priority rather than remaining limited to constitutional provisions.
In addition, strengthening the judiciary, improving access to justice, and addressing corruption across public institutions are essential steps toward restoring public confidence.
The coalition’s findings serve as a reminder that democracy depends not only on elections but also on institutions capable of limiting power and protecting citizens.
Conclusion
Indonesia’s declining Rule of Law Index score in 2026 highlights a series of structural challenges affecting the country’s legal and democratic institutions.
From ineffective government oversight and persistent corruption to limited transparency and weaknesses in criminal justice, the eight areas identified by civil society organizations demonstrate why institutional reform remains important.
The country’s relatively strong performance in public security cannot fully compensate for shortcomings in judicial independence, fundamental rights, and equal access to justice.
Ultimately, strengthening the rule of law requires consistent enforcement, independent institutions, transparent governance, and equal protection under the law.
The challenge for Indonesia is not simply to improve its international ranking, but to ensure that every citizen can experience justice, accountability, and legal protection in everyday life.
