Quo Vadislegal profession participation in anti-money laundering

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the obstacles that the ethical guidelines of legal professionals pose in the implementation of an effective anti-money laundering regime, established in the law on anti-money laundering in Indonesia. Some compliance schemes have been developed to integrate the participation of gatekeepers in anti-money laundering efforts, but the solution to mitigate the challenges must be implemented through the participation of the legal profession. Design/methodology/approach - The study uses a qualitative research methodology, including a triangulation of interviews with relevant experts, literature review and analysis of regulations. A deductive approach is employed to analyse the data. Findings - The legal profession’s ethical regulations and laws were considered to be the cause for the Indonesian Government’s inability to implement the anti-money laundering regime. The findings show two practical solutions that could be implemented: A government policy for the amendment of the anti-money laundering law and organizational policy to increase support for the anti-money laundering regime; and active participation of legal professionals in an effective anti-money laundering regime in Indonesia. Originality/value - This study provides insight into the participation of the legal profession in anti-money laundering efforts.