Novel and Seriousness of Our Law
More than 100 days have passed since the investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Novel Baswedan, was doused with hard water. State apparatus and government are asked to act decisively to dismantle the evil conspiracy behind it, while we are invited to solidarity so that more dare to fight corruptors. But what exactly is the logical connection between the two things? To answer it requires building an ethical argument in the way of thinking about law and eradicating corruption. What is the justification for law enforcement commitments and efforts in the Novel case? What can drive the seriousness of taking care of the Novel case? Therein lies the role of morality in law enforcement to protect the rights of citizens.
The event of splashing hard water into Novel's face becomes a hot topic of discussion in our society. Not to forget, the legal academics have a voice. From the perspective of state administration, it is stated that the watering is an attack to weaken the KPK as an institution. Thus, a solution is proposed to strengthen the status, namely the legitimacy of KPK institutions through and based on the written constitution (1945 Constitution) and KPK management office immunity from criminalization. Other academic perspectives state the need for protection of the physical security of law enforcement officers from terror and threats. The mechanisms and legal validity of such protection may be adopted from a number of international legal instruments. The implementation solution is by establishing a new institution with special authority, or reshaping existing institutions.
