The Department of Criminal Law, Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FH UGM), successfully held a public lecture entitled "Legal Protection for Children in Conflict with the Law: Challenges, Implementation, and Best Practices in the Juvenile Criminal Justice System" on Monday, March 24, 2025. The event featured Ignatius Setiawan Cahyo Nugroho, S.H., M.H., a Child Protection Specialist from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Indonesia, as the keynote speaker. The event was moderated by Dr. Sri Wiyanti Eddyono, a criminal law lecturer at FH UGM and Director of the Center for Law, Gender, and Society (LGS). This activity aimed to provide a deeper understanding of the juvenile criminal justice system in Indonesia and the challenges still faced in implementing child protection policies.
In his presentation, Ignatius Setiawan Cahyo Nugroho highlighted various challenges in the implementation of the juvenile criminal justice system, including structural constraints, the suboptimal implementation of restorative justice, and the lack of coordination between relevant institutions. He explained that a child rights-based approach is essential to ensure maximum protection for children in conflict with the law, whether as perpetrators, victims, or witnesses. He also shared UNICEF's experience advocating for child protection policies in various countries and provided recommendations for best practices that can be implemented in Indonesia to create a more child-friendly legal system.
The public lecture was attended by approximately 50 participants, consisting of Master of Law students from the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), specifically those taking the Criminal Law for Children and Women (S1 Regular Law) and Contemporary International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (S2 MLI Law). Conducted online via Zoom, the event received high enthusiasm from participants who actively discussed and asked questions regarding challenges and solutions in enforcing legal protection for children. The discussion opened new insights into the importance of collaboration between academics, legal practitioners, and international organizations in creating a more just and inclusive juvenile criminal justice system.
This public lecture also aligns with the Faculty of Law UGM's commitment to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), which emphasizes the importance of a legal system that protects children's rights in the criminal justice process. Furthermore, this activity contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing a contextual and applicable learning environment for students and encouraging the integration of child protection issues into the legal education curriculum.
Furthermore, this public lecture supports SDG 10 (Reduced Inequality) by strengthening an inclusive legal system that supports vulnerable groups, including children. Furthermore, the synergy between the Faculty of Law UGM, UNICEF, and other stakeholders in this activity reflects the concrete implementation of SDG 17 (Partnerships to Achieve the Goals), which encourages cross-sector collaboration in achieving sustainable development.
Through this activity, the Department of Criminal Law, Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), hopes to continue supporting any academic discussions relevant to developments in national and international law and to strengthen student engagement in human rights-based studies of juvenile criminal law. As one of Indonesia's leading legal education institutions, UGM's Faculty of Law is committed to continuing its active role in strengthening a just, inclusive, and child-rights-protecting legal system.
Author : Master of Law Program
