Reading Law in a Non-Neutral World : How Power Shapes Legal Meaning Beyond Formal Rules

This essay examines the relationship between law and power in a global order often described as rule-based and neutral. It argues that law does not operate in a vacuum, but within asymmetrical power relations that shape legal meaning, outcomes, and legitimacy. Through a conceptual and reflective approach, the essay explores how procedural legality can coexist with predetermined outcomes, and how the illusion of neutrality may obscure underlying political and strategic interests. The discussion highlights the importance of maintaining legal boundaries, jurisdictional restraint, and contextual awareness, particularly in the realm of international and criminal law. Using Indonesia’s legal positioning as a reference point, the essay reflects on legal sovereignty as a form of resilience in a polarized world. Rather than offering prescriptive solutions, this work invites a more cautious and critical reading of law-one that recognizes neutrality as an assumption, not a given.