Understanding Bureaucratic Experiences in Implementing Constitutional Court Decisions within Decentralized Governance in Indonesia
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Abstract
Constitutional law implementation within decentralized governance has become a critical area of study in public administration and legal studies. Although Constitutional Court decisions in Indonesia carry binding legal force, the absence of enforceable administrative mechanisms often hinders their practical realization at the local government level. What remains unclear is how local bureaucrats experience the ambiguity and political complexity associated with these non-executive rulings. This study, conducted in the Indonesian context, employs an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of local bureaucrats. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight regional bureaucrats, data were systematically analyzed thematically to extract core experiential themes, including legal ambiguity, political pressure, institutional silence, and ethical dilemma. These themes reveal that bureaucrats are not merely executors of the law but act as interpretive agents navigating institutional, ethical, and political tensions. The study highlights that subjective legal consciousness plays a crucial role in shaping administrative responses to constitutional decisions in the absence of procedural clarity. These findings demonstrate the centrality of individual interpretation in legal implementation, particularly in a decentralized legal-political system. Future studies may build on this work by examining cross-regional variations or tracing bureaucratic interpretations over time to inform institutional design and legal accountability.
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