Postmodern Reflection on AI Judges: Reconstructing Criminal Justice in Indonesia

Abstract

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in judicial processes represents a paradigm shift in Indonesia’s criminal justice system, reflecting the postmodern condition where technology redefines the meaning of justice. This study explores how AI judges challenge traditional notions of legal authority, moral judgment, and human subjectivity within postmodern thought. Using a normative and philosophical research method, the analysis draws upon postmodern legal theory particularly Derrida’s deconstruction and Lyotard’s skepticism toward metanarratives to examine the implications of algorithmic decision-making in criminal justice. The objective is to critically reconstruct the foundation of justice in an era where rationality is increasingly mediated by data and code. The findings suggest that AI judges, while enhancing efficiency and procedural uniformity, risk reducing justice to a hyperreal simulation detached from ethical deliberation. Consequently, the research proposes a postmodern reconstruction of criminal justice that reaffirms human interpretive autonomy, contextual sensitivity, and ethical responsibility as essential elements within the digital legal landscape.