A delegation from the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada, has claimed First Place and the Best Paper award in the national Legal Opinion Competition at the Sunan Ampel Legal Competition (SALC) 2026, organized by the Law Debate Community of the Faculty of Sharia and Law at UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya. The delegation comprised two students: Jessica Olivia Wulandari Riyanto (Class of 2024) and Kezia Putri Novitawati (Class of 2024), under the supervision of Dr. Dinarjati Eka Puspitasari, S.H., M.Hum.
The competition consisted of two stages: a preliminary round, in which participants were assessed on their written submissions, and a final round, centered on an oral presentation. In the preliminary stage, participants were required to analyze the legal issues arising from a given set of case facts -- juridically, philosophically, and sociologically -- in the form of a written Legal Opinion document.
The case centered on environmental pollution caused by a radioactive waste leak from a nuclear installation facility. The competition challenged participants to map the relevant legal facts and construct a coherent argument -- a task that required them to propose appropriate legal solutions and recommendations for affected communities.
SALC 2026 was held under the theme "The Ecological Constitution as a Corrective Framework for the Governance of Radioactive Waste Management in Indonesia." During the document preparation process, the delegation deepened their understanding of how to pursue legal accountability for socio-economic and environmental harm, and examined the state's constitutional obligations in protecting the right to a clean and healthy environment.
The presentation and Q&A session during the final round served both as the competition's conclusion and as an opportunity to defend the arguments set out in the written paper. Beyond the achievement and the experience it offered, the competition deepened the delegation's awareness that a paradigm shift in legal reform is an absolute necessity for realizing environmental justice in the context of industrial and civilizational development.
The achievement of the UGM Faculty of Law delegation also aligns with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) -- specifically SDG 4 (Quality Education), through the strengthening of students' research, legal analysis, and academic argumentation skills in addressing contemporary legal issues. The theme of radioactive waste management and the protection of the right to a clean and healthy environment is directly connected to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), as it underscores the importance of responsible and sustainable environmental governance. Furthermore, the discussion of state accountability and the strengthening of an ecological constitution also supports SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) -- by promoting a legal system that is adaptive, accountable, and capable of delivering legal protection to communities affected by environmental pollution.
Author: Wilson Antoro (PMK FH UGM)
