The Faculty of Law at Gadjah Mada University, through its Master’s Program in Legal Studies, hosted a guest lecture titled “Law and Politics from a Multidisciplinary Perspective.” The event took place on Friday, October 24, 2025, in Room III.1.1 of the UGM Faculty of Law. The event featured Willy Aditya, Chair of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, as the guest speaker and was moderated by Dr. Sri Wiyanti Eddyono, S.H., LL.M. (HR), Ph.D. The event was attended by all students enrolled in the Law and Politics course from the Master of Legal Studies program, as well as students enrolled in the Law and Politics course from the international LLM (Master of Laws) program.
In the lecture, Willy Aditya provided a comprehensive discussion of legal politics in the legislative process within parliament. He emphasized that law cannot be understood solely as a normative text, but also as a social and political process that reflects the configuration of power in parliament. According to him, “The character of a law is determined by the political context surrounding it; the more democratic the configuration, the more responsive the resulting law will be.” Willy also highlighted the importance of meaningful participation in every legislative process so that the resulting laws truly represent the public’s aspirations.
In addition, Willy also outlined the differences between the concepts of “Rechtstaat” and “Rule of Law” and emphasized that Indonesia adheres to a Pancasila-based rule of law that is progressive, humanistic, and oriented toward the value of social justice. He emphasized that the direction of national lawmaking must be grounded in humanistic values and substantive justice, as highlighted by legal thinkers such as Mahfud MD and Sudjito. The Critical Legal Studies (CLS) approach was also introduced to critique the neutrality of law and underscore that law often serves as an instrument of power; therefore, it must be directed to support vulnerable groups and ensure social equality.
During the question-and-answer session, participants raised various current issues, such as the dynamics of the deliberations on the Customary Law Communities Bill, the Sexual Violence Crimes Bill, and the Domestic Workers Protection Bill. Willy Aditya noted that delays in a number of bills are often caused by political obstacles or the government’s failure to provide a Problem Inventory List (DIM). However, he emphasized that the House of Representatives (DPR) continues to strive to strengthen transparency and public participation through discussion forums and focus group discussions (FGDs). Willy also highlighted the importance of the media as the fourth pillar of democracy, which plays a role in fostering legal awareness and social oversight of the legislative process.
This guest lecture series serves as an important forum for students to understand the close interconnection between law, politics, and society. From the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this initiative contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education) by enhancing the quality of multidisciplinary legal education; SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by promoting participatory and transparent legal governance; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through collaboration between academics and policymakers to strengthen evidence-based lawmaking.
By hosting this event, the UGM Faculty of Law reaffirms its commitment to continuously developing legal education that is critical, contextual, and oriented toward social justice. Through dialogue between academics and political practitioners, students are expected to become legal professionals who not only understand normative aspects but also possess sensitivity toward the dynamics of power and moral responsibility in building a just and inclusive legal system.
Author: Master of Laws Program, Universitas Gadjah Mada
