A Constitutional Analysis towards Indonesia’s Legal Boundaries: Freedom of Expression vs. National Security

Syahr Banu Riadh, Dr. Herlambang Perdana Wiratraman, S.H., MA.

2025 | Skripsi | ILMU HUKUM

Penelitian hukum ini mengkaji ketegangan konstitusional antara hak atas kebebasan berekspresi dan kebutuhan untuk menjaga keamanan nasional di Indonesia, dengan fokus khusus pada wilayah Papua. Berdasarkan hukum hak asasi manusia nasuonal dan internasional, studi ini mengeksplorasi bagaimana Pasal 28E dan 28F UUD 1945 menjamin kebebasan berekspresi, sementara Pasal 28J mengizinkan pembatasannya demi kepentingan keamanan nasional dan ketertiban umum. Menggunakan pendekatan normatif-yuridis dan sosio legal, penelitian ini menganalisis instrumen hukum, keputusan pengadilan, dan praktik negara, terutama pemadaman internet di Papua sebagai studi kasus.

Ini mengevaluasi praktik-praktik tersebut terhadap prinsip-prinsip legalitas, proporsionalitas, dan kebutuhan, dengan mengacu pada kerangka kerja seperti Rule of Law; Teori Hukum Kritis, Prinsip Proporsionalitas, dan Margin of Appreciation. Temuan tersebut mengungkapkan bahwa meskipun kerangka hukum Indonesia menyediakan pembatasan ekspresi atas dana keamanan, pelaksanaannya sering kali kurang memiliki justifikasi proporsional dan dapat melanggar standar konstitusi dan internasional. Studi ini merekomendasikan penerapan langkah-langkah hukum yang lebih seimbang dan transparan untuk memastikan keamanan nasional tidak mengorbankan kebebasan demokratis dan hak asasi manusia.

This legal research examines the constitutional tension between the right to freedom of expression and the need to maintain national security in Indonesia, with a specific focus on the Papua region. Grounded in both national and international human rights law, the study explores how Article 28E and 28F of the 1945 Constitution guarantee freedom of expression, while Article 28J permits its restriction in the interest of national security and public order. Using a normative-juridical and socio-legal approach, the research analyzes legal instruments, court decisions, and state practices, particularly the internet shutdown in Papua as a case study.

It evaluates these practices against the principles of legality, proportionality, and necessity, drawing on frameworks such as the Rule of Law, Critical Legal Theory, the Proportionality Principle, and the Margin of Appreciation. The findings reveal that Indonesia's legal framework provides for the restriction of expression in the name of security, its implementation often lacks proportional justification and may infringe upon constitutional and international standards. The study recommends a more balanced and transparent application of legal measures to ensure national security does not come at the cost of undermining democratic freedoms and human rights.

Kata Kunci : Freedom of Expression, National Security, Human Rights, Papua, 1945 Constitution.