UNCOVERING INTENT: REASSESSING THE ROLE OF MOTIVE IN THE PUNISHMENT OF PREMEDITATED MURDER IN INDONESIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56107/penalaw.v3i1.223Abstract
The sentencing of premeditated murder cases in Indonesia has so far emphasized the elements of planning and the consequences of the act, but has paid little attention to the perpetrator's motive as a reflection of the degree of culpability. In many progressive legal systems, however, motive is considered important in assessing the extent to which criminal intent (mens rea) contributes to the quality of a criminal act. This study aims to reassess the role of motive in the sentencing of premeditated murder under Article 340 of the Criminal Code, and to propose an evaluative model that can be used to enhance substantive justice in Indonesia's criminal justice practice. Using a legal-normative method and a qualitative approach to twenty court decisions selected purposively (period 2018–2024), it was found that in 70% of cases, motive was not considered as a legal factor in the court’s decision. Motives were merely mentioned in the chronology without legal weight. However, in criminal law practice in Germany and the Netherlands, motives serve as the basis for classifying murder and determining criminal sanctions. This study developed a conceptual model that categorizes motives into three categories: rational-emotional, manipulative-opportunistic, and pathological, each with its own evaluative implications for sentencing. This study recommends that motives be integrated into national sentencing guidelines and incorporated into judicial training based on contextual justice. In this way, Indonesia's sentencing system can become more humane, fair, and aligned with the values of substantive justice.
References
Murdiana, S., & Kusuma, P. (2023). Psychological Dynamics of Premeditated Murder Convicts in Early Age. Journal of Correctional Issues, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.52472/jci.v6i1.208
Agusta, E. N., Pujiyono, P., Sa’adah, N., & Putra, A. W. (2025). A Juridical Study of the Death Penalty for Premeditated Murder in the Perspective of Indonesian Criminal Law Reform. Jurnal Pembangunan Hukum Indonesia, 7(1), 98–117.
Antill, G. (2022). Fitting the Model Penal Code into a ReasonsResponsiveness Picture of Culpability. Yale Law Journal, 131(4).
Aranda, Y. (2020). The Crime Factors of Premeditated Murder Committed by Children Against Children. Ius Poenale, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.25041/ip.v1i2.2065
Armelia, D., Rosikhu, M., & Rahmatyar, A. (2024). Analysis of criminal responsibility for the crime of premeditated murder (An analysis of decision number 813K/Pid/2023). Ex Aequo Et Bono Journal Of Law, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.61511/eaebjol.v2i1.2024.1040
Berg, M. T., & Schreck, C. J. (2021). The Meaning of the Victim-Offender Overlap for Criminological Theory and Crime Prevention Policy. In Annual Review of Criminology (Vol. 5). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-criminol-030920-120724
Bohlander, M. (2021). Principles of German criminal procedure. In Principles of German Criminal Procedure. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781509935369
Butt, S., & Nathaniel, A. (2024). Evidence from criminal law experts in Indonesian criminal trials: Usurping the judicial function? International Journal of Evidence and Proof, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/13657127231217319
Christiani, T. A. (2016). Normative and Empirical Research Methods: Their Usefulness and Relevance in the Study of Law as an Object. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.05.006
Chuasanga, A., & Argo Victoria, O. (2019). Legal Principles Under Criminal Law in Indonesia Dan Thailand. Jurnal Daulat Hukum, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.30659/jdh.v2i1.4218
Fabini, H. (2025a). Domestic Violence: Basics. In Domestic Violence in Medicine and Psychotherapy (pp. 1–26). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-71676-2_1
Fabini, H. (2025b). Domestic Violence in Medicine and Psychotherapy. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-71676-2
Gardner, M. R. (1976). The Renaissance of retribution: An examination of doing justice. Wisconsin Law Review, 1(1976).
Herlindah, & Darmawan, Y. (2022). Development Legal Theory and Progressive Legal Theory: A Review, In Indonesia’s Contemporary Legal Reform. Peradaban Journal of Law and Society, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.59001/pjls.v1i1.22
Hoffmann, J. L., & Zontek, W. (2022). Discretion in Criminal Justice: Reflections Prompted by H.L.A. Hart’s “Lost” Essay. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4271586
Horowski, J. (2022). Harm, Forgiveness and the Subjectivity of the Victim. Philosophia (United States), 50(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-021-00446-z
Irianto, S. (2021). Legal Education For The Future Of Indonesia: A Critical Assessment. Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.54828/ijsls.2021v1n1.1
Jafarnejad Sani, A. (2024). Examining the Criminological Foundations of Intentional Crimes in the Criminal Law of Iran and Canada. Legal Studies in Digital Age, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.lsda.3.2.7
Kamsi, K., Julianto, V., Billah, M., & Karimullah, S. S. (2023). Intentionally Changing Everything: Deliberate Constructing in Corruption Case. Lex Scientia Law Review, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.15294/lesrev.v7i2.59866
Laia, A., Mustofa, M., & Kristiawanto, K. (2025). Proving Motive In Premeditated Murder Cases. Asian Journal of Social and Humanities, 3(4), 732–740. https://doi.org/10.59888/ajosh.v3i4.474
Liem, M., Aarten, P., & Vüllers, J. (2022). From detection to sentencing: a homicide case flow analysis of the Dutch criminal justice system. Policing and Society, 32(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2021.1933484
Limbong, J. M. L., & Adhari, A. (2022). Analysis of Evidence Elements Intentional and Planning on the Crime of Planning Murder in the Decision of the East Jakarta State Court Number 490/Pid.B/2017/Pn.Jkt.Tim. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220404.124
McKeown, M. (2021). Structural injustice. Philosophy Compass, 16(7). https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12757
Negara, T. A. S. (2023). Normative Legal Research in Indonesia: Its Originis and Approaches. Audito Comparative Law Journal (ACLJ), 4(1). https://doi.org/10.22219/aclj.v4i1.24855
Oktatianti, T., Mubarak Bin Humaid, M. S., Irfan Rosyadi, R., Abdul Adzim, A., & Muthoifin, M. (2023). Premeditated Murder in the Modern Era Comparative Study of Perspectives on Islamic Law and the Criminal Code. Solo International Collaboration and Publication of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(01). https://doi.org/10.61455/sicopus.v1i01.28
Palarczyk, D. (2023). Ecocide Before the International Criminal Court: Simplicity is Better Than an Elaborate Embellishment. Criminal Law Forum, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10609-023-09453-z
Pangestu, D. R., & Endah Wahyuningsih, S. (2025). Legal Analysis of Judges’ Decisions that do Not Conform to the Values of Justice of the Parties to the Case. Jurnal Hukum Khaira Ummah, 20(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.30659/jhku.v20i1.43973
Ploeg, O. H. J., Mehigan, J., Grace, R. C., & Cording, J. R. (2024). Murder or manslaughter: the role of premeditation and associated behavioural characteristics. Psychology, Crime & Law, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2024.2405678
Rahmawati, R., Madjid, A., & Noedajasakti, S. (2023). The Submission of Judicial Review by the Public Prosecutor Following the Decision of the Constitutional Court No 20/PUU-XXI/2023 (Indonesia): an Examination of Legal Protection for the Rights of the Convicted. Path of Science, 9(8). https://doi.org/10.22178/pos.95-12
Ramadan, T. A., & Mandala, S. (2025). Deconstructing Intentionality: Legal Fallacies in The Indonesian Criminal Code’s Approach to Mens Rea. Asian Journal of Social and Humanities, 3(9), 1637–1648. https://doi.org/10.59888/ajosh.v3i9.564
Ramadhani, A. P., Rahman, S., & Ulfah, S. (2025). Understand Motivation Perpetrator Action Criminal Murder. HORIZON PUBLIC LEGAL STUDIES, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.56087/hegels.v1i2.990
Rauzi, F., Hadi, M. Z. P., & Willems, J. (2023). Motive Evidentiary in Premeditated Murder: Aligning the Norms and Practical. Jurnal Hukum Novelty, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.26555/novelty.v14i2.a25954
Rohman, Moh. M., Mu’minin, N., Masuwd, M., & Elihami, E. (2024). Methodological Reasoning Finds Law Using Normative Studies (Theory, Approach and Analysis of Legal Materials). MAQASIDI: Jurnal Syariah Dan Hukum, 204–221. https://doi.org/10.47498/maqasidi.v4i2.3379
Romdoni, M., Putri, A., & Bakar, A. (2022). The Role of the Justice Collaborator in A Premeditated Murder Crime. Legal Brief, 12(5).
Schwartz, F., Djeriouat, H., & Trémolière, B. (2022). Agents’ moral character shapes people’s moral evaluations of accidental harm transgressions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104378
Stahn, C. (2020). International Criminal Justice and Expressivist Theory. In Justice as Message. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198864189.003.0002
Taekema, S. (2018). Theoretical and Normative Frameworks for Legal Research: Putting Theory into Practice. Law and Method. https://doi.org/10.5553/rem/.000031
van Rooij, B., Kuiper, M. E., & Piquero, A. (2024). How Punishment Affects Crime: An Integrated Understanding of the Behavioral Mechanisms of Punishment. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4790878
von Hirsch, A. (1992). Proportionality in the Philosophy of Punishment. Crime and Justice, 16. https://doi.org/10.1086/449204
von Hirsch, A., Garland, D., & Wakefield, A. (2004). Ethical and Social Perspectives on Situational Crime Prevention. In Ethical and Social Perspectives on Situational Crime Prevention. https://doi.org/10.2307/3089126
Von Hirsch, A., & Roberts, J. V. (2004). Legislating sentencing principles: The provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 relating to sentencing purposes and the role of previous convictions. In Criminal Law Review (Issue AUG.).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Christine Christine, Kristiawanto Kristiawanto, Tanawat Teepapal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
