The Restorative Justice Approach in the Tepung Tawar Tradition: How Do Customary Rules Resolve Criminal Cases?

Restorative justice principles have been formally integrated into the Indonesian criminal justice system, including both the Indonesian Criminal Code and the Indonesian Criminal Procedure Code, that took effect on 2 January 2026. These principles have historically been applied within various customary communities to resolve legal issues as part of local wisdom. This study contends that the 'tepung tawar' tradition in South Sumatra, Indonesia embodies restorative justice principles and may serve as a customary mechanism for resolving criminal cases outside the formal court system. Accordingly, this paper seeks to deepen the understanding of the tepung tawar tradition in the context of customary criminal cases from a restorative justice perspective. This doctrinal legal research employs statutory, conceptual, historical, and comparative approaches. The findings revealed that incorporating the 'tepung tawar' tradition into the national legal system could help resolve social conflicts, particularly through restorative justice. However, a combination of these two methods is expected to produce better results. An important part of the mediation process is deliberation to reach an agreement before going to court. The paper concludes that customary law must be incorporated into the contemporary legal system voluntarily, proportionately, and with due regard for fundamental human rights, to prevent distortion or discrimination. Consequently, customary law and local traditions can effectively promote restorative justice and strengthen legal diversity in Indonesia.