Reconstruction of an Ecosystem-Based Law Enforcement Model: Transformation of the Principle of Utility for the Restoration of Protected Forests
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38035/jlph.v6i6.3878Keywords:
Law Enforcement, Protected Forests, Environmental Restoration, Principle of Utility, Legal ReconstructionAbstract
Indonesia, as a megabiodiverse country, faces serious challenges from the degradation of protected forests caused by land conversion into illegal agricultural areas. This study aims to analyze current law enforcement efforts against forest land conversion and formulate an environmental restoration-based law enforcement model grounded in the principle of legal utility. This study employs a qualitative method with a descriptive-analytical approach through a juridical-sociological study, comparing das sollen (legal norms) with das sein (practices in the field). The findings indicate that conventional criminal law enforcement, as reflected in the Bukit Daun Protected Forest encroachment case, remains predominantly punitive and formalistic, relying on imprisonment and fines with limited impact on ecosystem restoration. The proposed reconstruction emphasizes restorative sanctions through the Polluter Pays Principle, requiring offenders to restore environmental damage through the removal of illegal crops, replanting of indigenous species, and sustainable protection of hydrological functions. From the perspective of legal philosophy, the principle of utility requires law to provide tangible benefits for society. Therefore, law enforcement should shift from punishment alone toward comprehensive environmental restoration. Its effectiveness should ultimately be measured by the extent to which law restores protected forests as life-support systems and ensures ecological justice for present and future generations.
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