Bali High Prosecutor's Office Holds Joint Commitment Event "Bale Kertha Adhyaksa" in Bali Province, Involving University Leaders and Law Faculty Deans

Denpasar – The Rector of Udayana University, represented by the Vice Rector for Planning, Cooperation, and Information, Prof. I Putu Gede Adiatmika, along with the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Putu Gede Arya Sumerta Yasa, attended the Joint Commitment event of Bale Kertha Adhyaksa for Bali Province, held at the Bali High Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, June 30, 2025. Bale Kertha Adhyaksa provides a platform for the application of customary sanctions as part of a social criminal system, as long as it aligns with the values of Pancasila, Human Rights, and the Constitution.

The Prosecutor’s Office as a law enforcement institution is expected to be able to provide alternative dispute resolution, non-litigation case settlements, and to act as a facilitator in resolving customary disputes based on the principles of deliberation, kinship, and consensus to achieve peace and maintain social harmony. The establishment of Bale Kertha Adhyaksa, initiated by the Head of the Bali High Prosecutor’s Office and his team, is hoped to integrate positive legal values with customary law values that exist in the community to resolve cases, legal conflicts, and other matters through deliberation in order to strengthen customary institutions.

The event was attended by the Acting Deputy Attorney General (joining online), Members of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) from Bali Province, the Governor of Bali, the Chairperson of the Bali Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), the Commander of Military Region IX Udayana, the Inspector of Bali Police, Bendesa Agung (customary village chief), representatives from the Ombudsman, Mayors and Regents throughout Bali, heads of district attorney offices (Kejari) in Bali, the Interfaith Communication Forum (FKUB), customary village leaders (Bendesa Adat), university leaders and law faculty deans, along with other guests. This Joint Commitment was marked by support statements from Bendesa Agung and Bali’s DPD member IB Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra, as well as the signing of a commemorative plaque and the beating of the kentongan (traditional wooden slit drum).

The Head of the Bali High Prosecutor’s Office, Dr. Ketut Sumedana, explained that the socialization and inauguration of Bale Kertha Adhyaksa throughout Bali began on March 17, 2025, in Bangli Regency and concluded in Denpasar City on June 12, 2025. It has been established in 9 regencies/cities, encompassing 636 villages, 80 urban villages (kelurahan), and 1,500 customary villages across Bali. Today marks the culmination of all regional activities, namely the joint commitment to implement Bale Kertha Adhyaksa. The primary goal is to strengthen customary village institutions so that they can implement the kertha desa—which has long been part of Bali’s customary institutions—by enforcing the law through deliberation and consensus with local wisdom. This has a significant impact, especially in reducing the burden on the state and society in terms of costs for case handling that does not cause resistance in the community and fosters legal awareness among customary communities and their surroundings. Courts, therefore, become the last resort in seeking justice.