Legal Literacy - Learn about the principles of criminal law that apply in Indonesia, including the principles of territoriality, personality, protection and universality. This is an important guide in the application of criminal law in Indonesia.

The principles of criminal law are guidelines or legal basis in the application of criminal law in a country. In the application of criminal law in Indonesia, there are three principles that must be considered, namely the principle of territory, the principle of personality, and the principle of protection. These three principles of criminal law are the main guidelines in the application of criminal law in Indonesia. The following will explain the principles of criminal law that apply based on place and person.

1. Territorial Principle

The first principle of criminal law, namely the principle of territoriality, is the principle stipulated in Article 2 of the Criminal Code. Article 2 of the Criminal Code reads "The criminal provisions of the Indonesian Law shall apply to any person who commits a criminal offense in the territory of Indonesia". Thus, if a person commits a criminal offense in the territory of Indonesia, the applicable criminal provisions are Indonesian criminal provisions.

In the territorial principle, the element that takes precedence is territory. Thus, if a criminal act is committed in the territory of Indonesia, then Indonesian criminal law applies to the perpetrator. An example of the application of the territorial principle in criminal law in the Netherlands is when a person commits a criminal offense in the Netherlands, then the Dutch criminal provisions apply to the perpetrator.