[Unpad.ac.id, 1/03/2016] Draft law for Criminal Code, mainly ones related to provisions of customary law or law in the society, should be able to apply ethnographic approach to crime. Hopefully, crime studies can be made based on customs and culture background of each ethnic group as crime itself is relative.
Professor of University of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. TB. Ronny R. Nitibaskara, explained that through crime ethnography, in criminalizing an act one must pay attention to the criminalizing terms such as time, place, violated rules, who did it, who the victim is, and the social reaction, in order to consider the high relativity of crime and deviant behavior.
“The act deemed a crime or deviant behavior in one area may not necessarily similar in other areas,” said Prof. Ronny during his speech at National Seminar of “In Response to Draft of Criminal Code” held at Grha Sanusi Hardjadinata Unpad, Jl. Dipati Ukur No. 35 Bandung, Tuesday (1/03). This National Seminar is held in cooperation with the Faculty of Law Universitas Padjadjaran and Society of Criminal Law and Criminology (Mahupiki).
According to Prof. Ronny, cultural or legal differences in the society would often lead to conflict, especially cultural conflict. This happened because a culture or habits of a region may differ with other local customs, which do not adhere to similar values.
During the event, Prof. Ronny also explained several actions or habits in a number of regions in Indonesia, which were considered deviant. He stated that many of deviant acts were not regulated clearly in the Criminal Code.
Unpad Professor, Prof. Dr. Komariah E. Sapardjaja, SH, said that through proper research, we should be able to see laws upheld in the community. “At least it will be a guide for law enforcement to establish prevention, Law enforcement’s ignorance should not become arena of vigilantism,” she said.*
Reported by Artanti Hendriyana / eh
