Criminal Liability of Ship Masters for Maritime Accidents
Analysis of Article 359 and Shipping Regulations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31004/anthor.v5i4.1239Keywords:
Criminal Liability, Captain of the Ship, Maritime Accidents, Negligence, Shipping LawAbstract
Maritime transportation plays a strategic role in connecting Indonesia's archipelagic territory from Sabang to Merauke, making shipping safety an absolute requirement for every sea carrier. The persistently high number of ship accidents in Indonesian waters indicates that law enforcement in the shipping sector has not yet operated optimally, while the ship's master, as the highest authority on board, is invariably held legally responsible whenever an accident occurs. This article examines the form of criminal liability borne by a ship's master for maritime accidents in Indonesian waters, as well as the legal reasoning applied by the judges in imposing criminal punishment on the master in the Decision of the High Court of Southeast Sulawesi Number 47/Pid/2012/PT. Sultra concerning the sinking of the Motor Vessel Windu Karsa. The study employs a normative juridical method with a descriptive-analytical specification, examining primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials, including developments in shipping and criminal law over the past four years (2022-2026). The findings show that a ship's master bears legal responsibility for the safety of the vessel, its passengers, and its cargo under the reversed burden of proof established in Article 249 of Law Number 17 of 2008 concerning Shipping, and may be held criminally liable under Article 359 of the Criminal Code where negligence results in the loss of another person's life. In the decision examined, the panel of judges found that the element of intent had not been proven, and therefore qualified the defendant's conduct as negligence (culpa) satisfying the elements of Article 359 of the Criminal Code. This study further highlights recent legal developments, namely the enactment of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, which reformulates the offense of negligence causing death under Article 474, and Law Number 66 of 2024 concerning the Third Amendment to Law Number 17 of 2008 concerning Shipping, which strengthens safety oversight and criminal sanctions in the shipping sector.
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