A Legal Analysis of Maladministration in Public Services

The provision of public services is a constitutional obligation of Indonesia as a state governed by the rule of law and a key indicator of good governance. Nevertheless, maladministration remains prevalent in public service delivery, manifesting in undue delays, abuse of authority, procedural irregularities, discrimination, neglect of legal obligations, and unlawful fees. Previous studies have primarily focused on service quality, public satisfaction, and bureaucratic effectiveness, while legal analyses from the perspective of State Administrative Law remain limited. This study aimed to examine forms of maladministration in public services that violate the principles of State Administrative Law and the General Principles of Good Governance (Asas-Asas Umum Pemerintahan yang Baik, AUPB), as well as the mechanisms for addressing and overseeing such practices through the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia. The study employed a normative legal research method incorporating statutory, conceptual, and case approaches, drawing on primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials, particularly Law No. 25 of 2009 concerning Public Services, Law No. 37 of 2008 concerning the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, and Law No. 30 of 2014 concerning Government Administration. The findings indicated that maladministration reflected deficiencies in the implementation of the principles of legal certainty, justice, accountability, and professionalism, adversely affecting public service users and undermining public trust. Although mechanisms for addressing maladministration had an established legal basis through complaints to the Ombudsman and administrative remedies, their effectiveness was constrained by limited public legal awareness, inadequate implementation of Ombudsman recommendations, and inconsistent adherence to good governance principles. The study concluded that improving the competence of public officials, strengthening oversight mechanisms, and consistently implementing good governance principles were essential to ensuring high-quality, transparent, accountable, and citizen-centered public services