URGENSI PENERAPAN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PADA TAHAP PENYELIDIKAN SEBAGAI PENDEKATAN PENYELESAIAN PERKARA KECELAKAAN LALU LINTAS YANG MENYEBABKAN KEMATIAN

THE URGENCY OF IMPLEMENTING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AT THE INVESTIGATION STAGE AS AN APPROACH TO SOLVING TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CASES THAT CAUSE DEATH

Kecelakaan lalu lintas akibat kelalaian sering berdampak besar bagi korban, keluarga, dan pelaku. Dalam hukum Indonesia, perkara semacam ini umumnya ditangani dengan pendekatan retributif, di mana pelaku harus mempertanggungjawabkan perbuatannya secara pidana. Namun, dengan berkembangnya Restorative Justice (RJ), tersedia alternatif penyelesaian yang lebih berfokus pada pemulihan. Penelitian ini menganalisis urgensi penerapan restorative justice pada tahap penyelidikan sebagai pendekatan penyelesaian perkara, serta perlindungan hukum bagi keluarga korban dalam penerapan Restorative Justice. Dengan metode penelitian normatif berbasis konseptual dan perundang-undangan, Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penerapan keadilan restoratif pada tahap penyelidikan memiliki potensi menghindari kriminalisasi pelaku yang tidak berniat jahat, mendorong pemulihan korban secara menyeluruh, serta mengurangi beban lembaga peradilan. Namun, perlindungan terhadap keluarga korban harus diutamakan melalui pelibatan aktif, hak atas informasi yang transparan, serta hak atas pemulihan. Oleh karena itu, perlu penguatan regulasi dan mekanisme pengawasan agar penerapan keadilan restoratif tetap dalam koridor hukum dan menjamin rasa keadilan semua pihak.

Traffic accidents due to negligence often have a major impact on the victim, family, and perpetrator. In Indonesian law, this kind of case is generally handled with a retributive approach, where the perpetrator must be held criminally accountable for his actions. However, with the development of Restorative Justice (RJ), there are alternative solutions that focus more on recovery. This study analyzes the urgency of implementing restorative justice at the investigation stage as an approach to resolving cases, as well as legal protection for victims' families in the implementation of Restorative Justice. With conceptual and legislative-based normative research methods, the results of the study show that the application of restorative justice at the investigation stage has the potential to avoid criminalization of perpetrators who do not have malicious intentions, encourage the recovery of victims as a whole, and reduce the burden on the judicial institution. However, the protection of victims' families must be prioritized through active involvement, the right to transparent information, and the right to recovery. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen regulations and supervisory mechanisms so that the application of restorative justice remains within the legal corridor and ensures a sense of justice for all parties.