Achieving Judicial Consistency Through the Establishment of Civil and Criminal Chambers in Indonesia's District and High Courts

Authors

Dwi Bintang Satrio, Student at Doctor in Law Study Program, Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jalan Banda No. 40, Bandung, S.H., M.H. (Universitas Padjadjaran)Follow
Efa Laela Fakhriah, Lecturer at the Department of Civil Law, Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jalan Banda No. 40, Bandung, Prof. Dr., S.H., M.H. (Universitas Padjadjaran)
Artaji Artaji, Lecturer at the Department of Civil Law, Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jalan Banda No. 40, Bandung, Dr. S.H., M.H. (Universitas Padjadjaran)

Abstract

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia has implemented the chamber system to achieve judicial consistency and fulfil the fundamental objectives of law, namely legal certainty, justice, and expediency. However, despite this effort, inconsistencies in judicial decisions remain prevalent, particularly in civil and criminal cases at the district and high court levels. This study employed a normative juridical approach supported by case analysis to examine the effectiveness of the current chamber system in achieving judicial consistency and to identify structural weaknesses that hinder its optimal implementation. The results reveal that judicial inconsistencies are found in several court decisions, such as the Baturaja District Court Decision Number 1/Pdt.G.S/2016/PN Bta, which deviates from the Supreme Court Decision Number 2904 K/Pdt/2014, and the Supreme Court Circular Letter was deviated by Palembang High Court Decision Number 3/PID/2025/PT PLG. Law implementation inconsistencies even exist in similar cases at first instance level, as in the South Jakarta Court Decision Number 484/Pdt.G/2013/PN Jkt.Sel differs from the Bandung District Court Decision Number 514/Pdt.G/2013/PN Bdg, even within the same institution, such as the Baturaja District Court Decision Number 36/Pdt.G.S/2023/PN Bta differs from the Baturaja District Court Decision Number 1/Pdt.G.S/2016/PN Bta. Based on the findings of this study, strengthening the chamber system by establishing civil and criminal chambers at both appellate and first-instance courts is essential to ensure uniformity in judicial decision-making and achieve judicial consistency, a manifestation of legal certainty within Indonesia’s judicial framework.

Recommended Citation

Satrio, Dwi Bintang; Fakhriah, Efa Laela; and Artaji, Artaji (2025) "Achieving Judicial Consistency Through the Establishment of Civil and Criminal Chambers in Indonesia's District and High Courts," Padjadjaran Jurnal Ilmu Hukum (Journal of Law): Vol. 12: No. 3, Article 6.
Available at: https://journal.unpad.ac.id/pjih/vol12/iss3/6