Criminalization of Trading in Influence in Indonesian Criminal Law: A Juridical and Legal Policy Analysis Based on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) 2003

The practice of trading in influence constitutes a form of abuse of power that potentially undermines the integrity of the legal system and governance. Such practice generates legal injustice and erodes public trust in state institutions due to personal interests and the misuse of power relations. The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) 2003 is an international legal instrument that explicitly defines trading in influence as a criminal act under Article 18. Indonesia ratified the UNCAC through Law No. 7 of 2006; however, national criminal law particularly Law No. 31 of 1999 in conjunction with Law No. 20 of 2001 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes has yet to explicitly regulate this offense. This study aims to analyze the juridical foundation and the direction of legal policy regarding the criminalization of trading in influence to align with international commitments under the UNCAC 2003. The research employs a normative legal method using statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches. The legal materials consist of the UNCAC 2003, Law No. 7 of 2006, the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Law, and the Legislative Guide for the Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNODC). Data were collected through literature study and analyzed qualitatively using systematic and teleological interpretation methods. The findings reveal that Indonesian national law has not yet explicitly accommodated the offense of trading in influence as stipulated in the UNCAC 2003, resulting in a normative gap and weak law enforcement against influence-peddling practices in political and bureaucratic spheres. Therefore, reform in criminal legal policy is required through the specific criminalization of trading in influence to ensure harmony with international anti-corruption standards and strengthen the integrity of state officials.