Purpose This study aims to evaluate the implementation of the principle of meaningful participation in the Indonesian lawmaking process and to assess the extent to which public participation is present in the formulation of legislation in the extractive sector. This research highlights the absence of measurable indicators for assessing how legislation operationalizes the principle of meaningful participation in Indonesia, thereby complicating efforts to ensure that enacted regulations align with societal needs and remain effective in practice. Design/methodology/approach This doctrinal legal research uses statutory and comparative approaches to examine and contrast legislative frameworks governing natural resource exploitation as the unit of analysis. Through doctrinal inquiry, it develops conceptual indicators that operationalize the principle of meaningful participation within the broader context of participatory lawmaking. Findings The findings indicate that the implementation of meaningful participation in lawmaking should be assessed across two principal stages: (1) the procedural stage, which examines who participates, when participation occurs and how it is conducted; and (2) the outcome accommodation stage, which gauges the extent to which public inputs are substantively incorporated into draft regulations. This two-tier framework provides a more systematic basis for evaluating the quality of participation and legislative responsiveness. Research limitations/implications This research is confined to doctrinal and comparative legal analysis and does not incorporate field based empirical data. Future research may further develop this operational framework through case based or empirical validation to assess the practical performance of meaningful participation indicators within specific jurisdictions. Originality/value This research contributes a normative assessment demonstrating that the principle of meaningful participation as provided under Law No. 13 of 2022 lacks defined indicators to ensure its effective implementation. It proposes a novel operational model to give effect to meaningful participation in lawmaking through two stages “process” and “outcome accommodation.” While participation has commonly been treated as an abstract normative ideal, this research reframes it as an evaluative and measurable concept that supports participatory and deliberative democracy. The framework offers practical value for policymakers, legislators and civil society actors in advancing equitable and just legal outcomes.
Hanum et al. (Sat,) studied this question.