Legal Certainty Regarding the Termination of Investigations in Signature Forgery Cases Due to the Unavailability of Comparison Documents: A Juridical Analysis at the North Halmahera Resort Police

Abstract

This study analyzes legal certainty regarding the termination of an investigation in a case of signature forgery due to the unavailability of comparison documents at the North Halmahera Resort Police. The research problem arises from the circumstances in which proving the authenticity of a signature requires comparison documents, while the unavailability of such documents may become a basis for investigators to terminate the investigation. This condition raises the question of whether the termination of the investigation is genuinely supported by an adequate legal basis or, conversely, may hinder the fulfillment of the victim’s right to obtain justice. This study employs a normative legal research method using statutory, conceptual, and case approaches. The results indicate that the unavailability of comparison documents cannot, by itself, be equated with the absence of a criminal offense. The termination of an investigation must be based on the provisions of criminal procedural law and supported by legally justified grounds and investigation facts that can be objectively and accountably established.