Exploring the Lived Experiences and Meaning-Making of Citizens Pursuing Judicial Review at the Indonesian Constitutional Court
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Abstract
Judicial review is a crucial mechanism for protecting constitutional rights and ensuring democratic accountability, yet citizens’ subjective experiences in pursuing this process remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining how citizens experience and make sense of defending their constitutional rights through judicial review at the Indonesian Constitutional Court. Using a phenomenological approach with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), data were drawn from twelve petitioners interviewed between 2020 and 2024. The analysis revealed four key themes: perceived procedural barriers, emotional struggles, transformation of constitutional awareness, and evolving trust in legal institutions. By integrating phenomenological insights into constitutional law research, the study contributes to socio-legal scholarship and underscores practical implications for improving access to justice and institutional transparency. However, the findings are limited by the small sample size and focus on a single national context, suggesting the need for broader comparative and longitudinal studies.
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