On Wednesday, 28 January 2026, the Faculty of Law of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), through the Legal Aid Consultation Center Work Unit (PKBH), in collaboration with the Special Region of Yogyakarta High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejaksaan Tinggi DIY), successfully carried out the “Suluh Praja” Legal Awareness Program at the Margosari Village Office, Pengasih Sub-district, Kulon Progo Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. This legal awareness activity aimed to provide legal understanding to the community, particularly village officials, regarding environmental and social issues that arise in community life. This edition of Suluh Praja raised the themes of “Waste Management” and “Protection of Children and Women” and lasted for approximately two (2) hours.
The event began at 09:30 WIB with an opening prayer and the singing of the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya, and was attended by village officials. The program continued with a welcoming speech from the Head of Margosari Village, Mr. Danang, who in his remarks highlighted the issue of plastic waste processing in Margosari Village. This was followed by a presentation from the team of the High Prosecutor’s Office of DIY, which explained the organizational structure as well as the main duties and functions of the civil and state administrative law division of the High Prosecutor’s Office of DIY.
Entering the main session, the material presentation was continued by a team of lecturers from the Faculty of Law UGM. The session began with Dr. Rr. Dinarjati Eka Puspitasari, S.H., M.Hum., who discussed “Waste Management.” In addition to explaining waste classification and management, Dr. Dinar also emphasized community participation in waste management movements throughout the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The next presentation, themed “Protection of Children and Women,” was delivered by Ms. Niken Subekti Budi Utami, S.H., M.Si., who discussed the protection of mothers and children in general, as well as specific aspects of the juvenile justice system.
All speakers from both the Faculty of Law UGM and the High Prosecutor’s Office of DIY were actively involved in discussions and question-and-answer sessions, responding to current questions from village officials and issues circulating within the community. Several topics frequently raised by participants included the implementation of environmental management regulations and the conduct of prosecution in criminal cases. During the question-and-answer session, Dr. Dinar explained the types of plastic materials and their decomposition processes, while Ms. Niken elaborated on the settlement of juvenile cases through diversion. The team from the High Prosecutor’s Office of DIY also explained the prosecution system and the mechanism of restorative justice in accordance with Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, in response to questions related to the handling of criminal cases.
The implementation of this legal awareness program represents a concrete form of the realization of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, particularly in applying the values of community service. It is hoped that this inter-institutional outreach activity will provide comprehensive, coherent, and systematic legal understanding to the community. In line with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this program also contributes to the achievement of SDG Goal 4 on quality education by involving academics and practitioners; Goal 5 on gender equality through raising awareness of the protection of women and children; Goal 15 on life on land through awareness and concrete efforts in waste management; and Goal 17 on partnerships for the goals through cooperation in the technical implementation of the “Datun Suluh Praja” Legal Awareness Program
Author: Benediktus Concilio Sinaga (PKBH FH UGM)
