Indonesia's Constitutional Court accepts withdrawal of witchcraft clause challenge

The Constitutional Court of Indonesia has officially accepted the withdrawal of a judicial review concerning Article 252, paragraph (1) of Law Number 1 of 2023, commonly referred to as the ‘witchcraft clause’. The petition was filed by five law students from Pamulang University.

The applicants sought to challenge the phrase ‘giving hope’ within the article, arguing that the lack of clear parameters could lead to over-criminalization and unilateral interpretation by law enforcement. However, the students decided to withdraw the case because they were unable to adequately demonstrate specific, actual, or potential constitutional losses, noting that their grievances remained purely academic.

Chief Justice Suhartoyo stated that the court's deliberation concluded the withdrawal was legally sound. Consequently, the applicants are barred from refiling the same petition.