Criminalization of Cohabitation in the New Criminal Code: A Dilemma of Public Morality and Protection of Constitutional Rights in Indonesia

Abstract

The criminalisation of cohabitation (living together) under Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Indonesian Criminal Code has generated significant debate on the relationship between public morality and constitutional rights in Indonesia. This issue arises from the growing prevalence of non-marital cohabitation, particularly in urban communities, while Indonesian criminal law increasingly emphasizes morality-based regulations. This study aims to analyse the legal construction of cohabitation in the new Criminal Code and examine its compatibility with the principle of constitutional protection of individual rights. This study employs normative juridical methods through statutory, conceptual, comparative, and limited case approaches. The theoretical framework used in this study is the constitutional rights protection theory and the principle of ultimum remedium in criminal law. The findings demonstrate that the regulation of cohabitation in the new Criminal Code reflects a strong orientation toward public moral values. However, its implementation has the potential to create constitutional tensions related to privacy rights, personal autonomy and equality before the law. Furthermore, the criminalisation model risks placing women and children in vulnerable positions because of social stigma and selective law enforcement. This article argues that criminal law should not function solely as a moral instrument but must also ensure proportionality, legal certainty, and protection of fundamental rights. Therefore, progressive interpretation and non-penal approaches are necessary to prevent excessive state intervention in citizens' private lives.

[Kriminalisasi kohabitasi (hidup bersama tanpa pernikahan) dalam Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana menimbulkan perdebatan serius mengenai hubungan antara moralitas publik dan perlindungan hak konstitusional di Indonesia. Persoalan ini muncul seiring berkembangnya praktik hidup bersama tanpa perkawinan di tengah masyarakat, khususnya di wilayah perkotaan, sementara hukum pidana nasional justru memperkuat pengaturan berbasis norma kesusilaan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis konstruksi hukum kohabitasi dalam KUHP baru serta menguji kesesuaiannya dengan prinsip perlindungan hak konstitusional warga negara. Penelitian menggunakan metode yuridis normatif dengan pendekatan perundang-undangan, konseptual, perbandingan, dan pendekatan kasus secara terbatas. Kerangka teori yang digunakan adalah teori perlindungan hak konstitusional dan prinsip ultimum remedium dalam hukum pidana. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengaturan kohabitasi dalam KUHP baru mencerminkan orientasi kuat terhadap moralitas publik, namun implementasinya berpotensi menimbulkan ketegangan konstitusional terkait hak privasi, otonomi individu, dan persamaan di hadapan hukum. Selain itu, model kriminalisasi tersebut berisiko menempatkan perempuan dan anak pada posisi yang lebih rentan akibat stigma sosial dan potensi penegakan hukum yang selektif. Penelitian ini menegaskan bahwa hukum pidana tidak seharusnya semata-mata dijadikan instrumen moralitas, melainkan juga harus menjamin proporsionalitas, kepastian hukum, dan perlindungan hak dasar warga negara. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan interpretasi progresif dan pendekatan non-penal agar penerapan KUHP baru tidak menimbulkan intervensi negara yang berlebihan terhadap kehidupan privat warga negara].