Confiscation of Convicts' Assets Earns Rudi Margono a Professorship in Law at Unissula

The Faculty of Law at Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (Unissula) in Semarang, Central Java, has inaugurated the Deputy Attorney General for Supervision at the Attorney General's Office, Prof Dr Rudi Margono SH MHum, as Professor of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law.

"The indicator of successful law enforcement in the criminal justice system has so far tended to be measured by whether the perpetrators are proven guilty as charged by the public prosecutor and convicted by the judge," said Prof Dr Rudi Margono SH MHum in a written statement received on Monday (17).

On the legal protection and rights of victims, Rudi said in his scholarly address, entitled "The Urgency of Confiscating Convicts' Assets in Efforts at Restitution and Recovery of Losses for the Legal Protection of Crime Victims", that securing restitution in particular has not yet become a priority or a concern for investigators, prosecutors or judges.

"As a result, the rights of crime victims have not been served optimally. Victims still find it difficult to obtain their right to restitution," he concluded.

Prof Rudi Margono recommended that the right to restitution and recovery of losses be understood not only as material loss — for example medical costs arising from violence — but in a broader sense, including the recovery of economic losses caused by offences such as fraud, embezzlement and other crimes that inflict economic harm on victims.

Meanwhile, Acting Deputy Attorney General Prof Dr Asep N Mulyana SH MHum, representing Attorney General Burhanuddin, read out a review of Prof Rudi Margono's scholarly address, which in principle appreciated and supported the ideas presented in the interest of legal reform in Indonesia.

According to the Attorney General, the title of the address chosen by Prof Rudi Margono is highly topical and relevant in responding to the challenges facing Indonesia's criminal justice system, particularly the fulfilment of victims' rights.

The Attorney General added that a mechanism of restitution and recovery of losses through the confiscation of convicts' assets points to a new and more equitable direction in law enforcement.

"This idea is in line with the view that the duty of law enforcement is not merely to impose punishment on offenders, but also to ensure that the rights of victims are fulfilled as an expression of comprehensive justice," he said.

The Attorney General expressed the hope that, with this inauguration as Honorary Professor in the field of Law, Prof Rudi Margono will continue to inspire the academic community and law enforcement officers to strengthen the bridge between academia and legal practice in the field.

Represented by the Acting Deputy Attorney General, the Attorney General congratulated Prof (HC) Dr Rudi Margono SH MHum on his inauguration as Honorary Professor in the field of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law, Unissula.

"May the trust he now carries continue to bring real work for the good of the law in Indonesia," he concluded. (REN)