ABSTRACT
Good deeds lead people to commit moral transgressions and crime. This research uses moral licensing theory to explain why and where law enforcers are involved in corruption, and why they commit an offence without any concern for being seen as immoral persons in the public’s eyes. The study was conducted using a qualitative method through in-depth interviews with 15 practitioners working for more than ten years in the criminal justice system. Working as a law enforcer cultivates the feeling of being a moral person with a moral surplus in their moral account, without exercising kindness in real life (counter factual transgression). An orientation towards putting a value on good deeds, expecting reciprocation (hutang budi), allows individuals to ask for and receive bribe for their own duties. Meanwhile, law enforcers who have an orientation towards sincerity (tanpa pamrih) perceive the work undertaken as fulfilling the duties of a public servant, so they tend not to ask for or receive bribe. The symptoms of moral licensing and corruption are influenced by who the victims are, the impact of the transgression, as well as the support group. The proposal of this study is that the track record of the perpetrator should not be used as a consideration for leniency of punishment because it can be designed intentionally to hide criminal motives.
