A Legal Analysis of the Application of Strict Liability and the Role of Courts in Civil Litigation for Environmental Pollution
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30863/ajmpi.v11i2.11460Keywords:
Environmental civil litigation, Environmental pollution, Judicial reasoning, Polluter pays principle, Strict liabilityAbstract
The principle of strict liability constitutes a fundamental instrument in environmental law aimed at strengthening accountability for high-risk business activities and ensuring the restoration of environmental damage. In Indonesia, this principle is codified in Article 88 of Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management. However, its application in environmental civil litigation continues to encounter significant challenges, particularly following regulatory changes introduced through the Job Creation Law. This study analyzes the legal framework governing strict liability in Indonesian environmental law, the juridical constraints affecting its implementation in environmental civil lawsuits, and the judicial reasoning reflected in Decision Number 20/Pdt.G/LH/2024/PN Surabaya. The research employs a normative legal research method, utilizing statutory, conceptual, and case approaches. The findings indicate that the application of strict liability in judicial practice still faces several obstacles, particularly in proving environmental loss and establishing complex causal relationships, as well as the reliance on scientific evidence. Nevertheless, the court’s decision demonstrates a progressive interpretation of strict liability by emphasizing the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle, and the imperative of environmental restoration. This study underscores the importance of strengthening regulatory frameworks and developing technical guidelines for environmental damage valuation in order to enhance the effectiveness of strict liability implementation in environmental civil litigation.
References
Agung, Mahkamah. Putusan Nomor 20/Pdt.G/LH2024/PN Sby (2024).
Al-Khowarizi, Muhammad Ibnu Musa. “Penerapan Asas Tanggungjawab Mutlak (Strict Liability) Dalam Kasus Pencemaran Lingkungan (Analisis Hukum Terhadap Putusan No 107/Pdt. G/LH/2019/PN Jmb).” Dinamika 28, no. 9 (2022): hlm. 4463-4480.
Alhayyan, Riadhi, dan Jelly Leviza. “Peranan Dan Kewenangan Pemerintah Provinsi Sumatera Utara Terkait Penerapan Asas Tanggung Jawab Mutlak (Strict Liability) Berdasarkan Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2009 Tentang Perlindungan Dan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup.” Jurnal Hukum Samudra Keadilan 15, no. 2 (2020): hlm. 223-236. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.33059/jhsk.v15i2.2806.
Ali, M, M A Setiawan, dan W Sanjaya. “Punishing Environmental Offenses Without Guilty Mind: Regulatory Framework and Judicial Responses.” International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning 17, no. 3 (2022): 907–13. https://doi.org/10.18280/IJSDP.170320.
Aminudin, Cecep. “Peranan Bukti Ilmiah (Scientific Evdence) Dalam Pengambilan Keputusan Hukum Perkara Tata Usaha Negara Lingkungan Hidup.” Iblam Law Review 4, no. 1 (2024): hlm. 265-275. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.52249/ilr.v4i1.264.
Amir, Irfan, Lazarus Try Setyawanta, Amalia Diamantiana, dan Andi Sugirman. “Climate Constitutionalism in Indonesia: Legal Pathways for Climate Action.” Al Bayyinah 9, no. 2 (2025): 260–71. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.30863/al-bayyinah.v9i2.10733.
Broderick, M, B Durning, dan L E Sánchez. “Cumulative effects.” In Methods of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, 649–77, 2017. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315626932.
Cholkami, C, M J M AlQudah, dan M Albasha. “Legal Frameworks for Liability for Damages Resulting from Industrial Activities: Towards Environmental and Economic Sustainability.” In Studies in Systems, Decision and Control, 227:1881–94, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-95310-1_136.
Cózar Escalante, J M De. “The precautionary principle and the environment.” Revista Espanola de Salud Publica 79, no. 2 (2005): 133–44. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1135-57272005000200003.
Fatah, A. “Citizen Lawsuit in Environmental Cases.” Lentera Hukum 6, no. 2 (2019): 289–308. https://doi.org/10.19184/ejlh.v6i2.9675.
Fatahillah, Ikhwan Aulia, dan Linda Novianti. Hukum perdata lingkungan. PT. Revormasi Jangkar Philosophia, 2025.
Fath, Al. “Analisis Yuridis Penerapan Strict Liability Dalam Undang-Undang Perlindungan Dan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup Yang Diubah Oleh Undang-Undang Ciptakerja.” Jurnal Batavia 2, no. 2 (2025): hlm. 110-120. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.64578/batavia.v2i2.168.
Fathurahman, Arif. “Penerapan prinsip pertanggungjawaban mutlak dalam gugatan pemerintah atas pencemaran lingkungan hidup.” PUSKAPSI Law Review 5, no. 1 (2025): hlm. 101-118. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.19184/puskapsi.v5i1.53728.
Fikri, M A Al. “Implementation of Strict Liability by Companies in Cases of Environmental Damage in Indonesia: An Overview of State Administrative Law in Indonesia.” Indonesian State Law Review 5, no. 2 (2022): 41–52. https://doi.org/10.15294/islrev.v5i2.47460.
Gorun, D. “Theoretical and practical aspects regarding the applying of the principle “polluter pays“.” WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development 14 (2018): 481–94.
Himawan, L, dan E S Lestari. “Settlement of Environmental Crime Through Restorative Justice.” In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 1270, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1270/1/012009.
Himsworth, C M G. “Unsustainable developments in lawmaking for environmental liability?” In Justice, Property and the Environment: Social and Legal Perspectives, 161–77, 2018. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429451805-11.
Ishak, M B, dan M A A Samah. “Strict liability versus policy and regulation for environmental protection and agricultural waste management in Malaysia.” EnvironmentAsia 3, no. SPECIAL ISSUE (2010): 11–19. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-76849104831&partnerID=40&md5=5e2c6081f45daf03800b104ddc9f3c48.
Jamwal, K. “A litigation strategy for vulnerable communities pursuing climate litigation: The Indian iteration of the precautionary principle and the reversal of the burden of proof.” In Climate Litigation and Vulnerabilities: Global South Perspectives, 272–96, 2025. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003470632-12.
Julianto, R, dan R Arifin. “Intersection between administrative law and private law on environmental law litigation in indonesia legal system.” Indonesian Journal of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development 2, no. 1 (2023): 69–104. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijel.v2i1.65862.
Listiyani, N, dan M Yasir Said. “Political law on the environment: The authority of the government and local government to file litigation in law number 32 year 2009 on environmental protection and management.” Resources 7, no. 4 (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/resources7040077.
Magomet, R D, dan N A Mironenkova. “The impact of anthropogenic activities on the indicators of environmental pollution.” Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 12, no. 1 (2015): 7–14. https://doi.org/10.13005/bbra/1629.
Martin-Ortega, J, R Brouwer, dan H Aiking. “Application of a value-based equivalency method to assess environmental damage compensation under the European Environmental Liability Directive.” Journal of Environmental Management 92, no. 6 (2011): 1461–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.12.001.
Marzuki, Peter Mahmud. Penelitian Hukum. Edisi Revi. Jakarta: Prenadamedia Group, 2015.
Maulana, Jalu Akbar, dan Fadila Nur Annisa. “Analisa Yuridis Perubahan Makna Strict Liability dalam Undang-Undang Lingkungan Hidup Pasca Pengesahan Undang-Undang Cipta Kerja.” Amnesti: Jurnal Hukum 6, no. 2 (2024): hlm. 298-314. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.37729/amnesti.v6i2.4935.
Muryati, Dewi Tuti, Dharu Triasih, dan Tri Mulyani. “Implikasi kebijakan izin lingkungan terhadap lingkungan hidup di indonesia.” Jurnal usm law review 5, no. 2 (2022): hlm. 693-707. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26623/julr.v5i2.5773.
Norris, R H, J A Webb, S J Nichols, M J Stewardson, dan E T Harrison. “Analyzing cause and effect in environmental assessments: Using weighted evidence from the literature.” Freshwater Science 31, no. 1 (2012): 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1899/11-027.1.
Nugroho, Wisnu Sapto, Romana Harjiyatni, dan Sunarya Rahardja. “Gugatan warga melalui citizen lawsuit pada kebakaran hutan dan lahan dalam konsep ekokarsi Tinjauan putusan MA no 3555 kpdt 2018.” Kajian Hasil Penelitian Hukum 4, no. 1 (2020): hlm. 713-735. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.37159/jmih.v4i1.1230.
Nyekwere, E H, U Nnawulezi, S E Adiyatma, K Balarabe, dan M A Rouf. “Constitutional and Judicial Interpretation of Environmental Laws in Nigeria, India and Canada.” Lex Scientia Law Review 7, no. 2 (2023): 905–58. https://doi.org/10.15294/lesrev.v7i2.69394.
Purwanto, E, R Sjarief, dan M Z Saleh. “Legal Dynamics in Environmental Accountability: A Case Study of Forest Fire Litigation in Indonesia.” International Journal of Environmental Impacts 7, no. 1 (2024): 25–30. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijei.070103.
Purwendah, Elly Kristiani, dan Eti Mul Erowati. “Prinsip Pencemar Membayar (Polluter Pays Principle) Dalam Sistem Hukum Indonesia.” Jurnal Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Undiksha 9, no. 2 (2021): hlm. 340-355.
Putri Faizal, Z. “Strict Liability in Environmental Dispute Responsibility Before and After the Enabling of Omnibus Law.” Administrative and Environmental Law Review 2, no. 1 (2021): 53–60. https://doi.org/10.25041/aelr.v2i1.2318.
Rachmawati, I. “The Transformation from Fault Liability to Strict Liability: A Cutting-edge Indonesian Maritime Tort Law.” In E3S Web of Conferences, Vol. 622, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202562202006.
RI, Mahkamah Agung. “Pengadilan Negeri Surabaya, Putusan Nomor 20/Pdt.G/LH/2024/PN Sby, tanggal 10 September 2024, Direktori Putusan Mahkamah Agung Republik Indonesia, diakses pada 19 Februari 2026.,” n.d.
Rizkia, Nanda Dwi, dan Hardi Fardiansyah. Metode Penelitian Hukum (Normatif dan Empiris). Penerbit Widina, 2023.
Ruzieva, M, dan U Ruziev. “Assessing environmental problems: Primary indicators and their role in ecosystem management.” In E3S Web of Conferences, Vol. 587, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202458702012.
Sembiring, Raynaldo, Yustisia Rahman, Elizabeth Napitupulu, Margaretha Quina, dan Rika Fajrini. Anotasi Undang-Undang Nomor 32 Tahun 2009 Tentang Perlindungan Dan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup. Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL). Edisi Pert., 2014.
Smollin, L, dan A Lubitow. “Environmental justice and interventions to prevent environmental injustice in the United States.” In Encyclopedia of Environmental Health, 561–68, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11820-2.
Wagner, L. “Environmental justice.” In The Routledge Handbook to the Political Economy and Governance of the Americas, 93–102, 2020. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351138444-9.
Wamuyu, H, C Odote, dan S Anyango. “Compensating Toxic Torts in Kenya: Overcoming the Causation Dilemma.” Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy 12, no. 2 (2021): 258–81. https://doi.org/10.4314/jsdlp.v12i2.5.
Wongkar, Etheldreda E L T. “Meninjau Kembali Strict Liability : Perkembangan Konseptual dan Tantangannya dalam Ajudikasi Lingkungan di Indonesia.” Jurnal Pro Natura 1, no. 1 (2024): 1–18.
Wood-Donnelly, C. “Environmental Justice.” In Theorising Justice: A Primer for Social Scientists, 141–54, 2023. https://doi.org/10.51952/9781529232233.ch009.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Siti Shanda Radhova, Sigar P. Berutu, Aida Ardini
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Al-Adalah: Jurnal Hukum dan Politik Islam agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.Â
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
