Indonesian Law – Global Legal Collection Highlights

This is the fourth post in our Global Legal Collection Highlights series, following posts on Russian law, Kuwait business law, and European Union law.  Be sure to let us know in the comments if there is a particular country that you would like us to cover in this series!

When I started working at the Law Library of Congress in 2009 I was given research assignments relating to Indonesian law.  This was a new area for me – although I had frequently seen news items on the country while living in New Zealand and had some basic general knowledge about it, I had not had the occasion to study Indonesian law.  Luckily for me, I could turn to a variety of resources to learn about the legal system and locate specific laws.  It is also a fascinating country so the research is often intriguing and rewarding!

The Law Library’s collection of Indonesian law materials is extensive.  This is aided by the fact that the Library of Congress Jakarta Office collects items that are published in the country itself, including by various government agencies as well as universities, etc.  While the majority of the books and other materials are in the Indonesian language (Bahasa Indonesia), there are some English translations of laws available as well as various English-language books that discuss different areas or features of Indonesia’s laws and legal system.

Indonesia is the third largest democracy in the world (after India and the U.S.) and also the largest Muslim-majority nation, so there is considerable interest outside of the country in its laws, politics, and society.  Some of the recent English-language books in the Law Library’s collection reflect areas that are of particular interest.  For example:

• Ratno Lukito, Legal Pluralism in Indonesia: Bridging the Unbridgeable (2013);
• Simon Butt, Corruption and Law in Indonesia (2012).  This author also co-wrote another recent book on Indonesian law: Simon Butt & Tim Lindsey, Constitution of Indonesia: A Contextual Analysis (2012);
• The second co-author of the above book also published a second book last year: Tim Lindsey, Islam, Law and the State in Southeast Asia (2012).  This followed several earlier publications on Indonesian law, including: Indonesia, Law and Society (Tim Lindsey ed., 2nd ed. 2008);
• Laws and Regulations in Broadcasting (Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Republic of Indonesia, Directorate of Broadcasting, Directorate General of Posts and Information Technology Affairs, 2012);
• Carl-Bernd Kaehlig, Indonesian Copyright Law: Including Licensing Requirements and Registration (2011);
• Compilation of Rules and Regulations on Religious Harmony (Center for Research and Development of Religious Life, the Office of Research and Development and Training, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Republic of Indonesia, 2011);
• Peter Mahmud Marzuki, An Introduction to Indonesian Law (2011).

In addition to searching our online catalog for more books on different areas of Indonesian law (try narrowing your search to English-language materials by using the “add limits to search results” button), you may find items of interest on the Law Library’s website, including articles, guides, and papers.  If you need further help with your research you can also contact us by submitting a request through our Ask a Librarian service.