Victims of Crime and Environmental Pollution in Indonesia: The Right to Restitution and Legal Inadequacies
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Abstract
The implementation of the right to restitution for victims of environmental crimes in Indonesia has shifted to bureaucratic compensation, which weakens the polluter pays principle related to social accountability for impacts. This research aims to clarify how regulation and law enforcement relate to the right of victims of environmental crimes to restitution, utilizing the concept of restorative justice grounded in social ecology. This research is normative, employing a comparative study approach with Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and China to draft ideal recommendations for the implementation of the right to restitution. This research shows, first, that although Law No. 32/2009, Government Regulation No. 22/2021, and Supreme Court Regulation No. 1/2022 affirm the right to a healthy environment and the obligation to provide restitution, the mechanism for victims of environmental crimes is not yet clear, necessitating legal strengthening for adequate restoration. Second, a comparison of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and China shows that Indonesia needs to emphasize restitution mechanisms for victims of environmental crimes through clear regulations oriented towards socio-ecological restoration. Third, the right to restitution for victims of environmental crimes in Indonesia, which is guaranteed by the Constitution and the Human Rights Law, is still weak in implementation, so it is necessary to strengthen the polluter pays principle, differentiate between restitution and compensation, and adopt comparative practices from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and China so that socio-ecological restoration is more effective
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