On Tuesday, 27 January 2026, the Faculty of Law of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), through the Center for Legal Aid Consultation Unit (PKBH), in collaboration with the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), conducted a legal outreach program titled “Suluh Praja” at the Ngentakrejo Village Office, Lendah District, Gunungkidul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. This legal outreach aimed to provide legal insight and knowledge to the community, particularly village officials. In its first session, the Suluh Praja program raised the themes of “Divorce and Domestic Violence (KDRT)” as well as “Online Loans and Online Gambling”, with the objective of delivering comprehensive legal understanding in community life.
Starting at 09:30 a.m. WIB, the event was attended by village officials and members of the community. The program opened with the singing of the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya, followed by opening remarks from Mr. Sumardi, Head of Ngentakrejo Village. The initial presentation was delivered by the Civil and State Administrative Law (Datun) team of the DIY High Prosecutor’s Office, which discussed management procedures as well as the distribution of main duties and functions within the field of civil and state administrative law.
The legal outreach then continued with presentations from lecturers of the Faculty of Law, UGM, namely Dr. Yulkarnain Harahab, S.H., M.Si., a lecturer in the Department of Islamic Law, and Muhammad Jibril, S.H., M. Private Law, a lecturer in the Department of Civil Law. The presentation on “Divorce and Domestic Violence” was delivered by Dr. Yulkarnain, focusing on the processes of marriage and divorce as regulated under the Marriage Law and the Compilation of Islamic Law. Meanwhile, the presentation on “Online Loans and Online Gambling” emphasized the legal aspects and addictive nature of online loans and online gambling—phenomena that are increasingly prevalent in society, regardless of their legality.
“It is the same as borrowing from a bank, but some are legal and some are illegal,” Mr. Jibril stated in his explanation of the general concept and classification of loans.
All presentations were delivered through interactive discussions that addressed real and practical issues. Beyond the main themes, village officials also raised several critical questions.
“In principle, higher-level regulations override lower-level regulations, and therefore lower-level regulations must not contradict the regulations above them,” Dr. Yulkarnain explained in response to a question regarding the hierarchy of regulations at the village level.
The implementation of this legal outreach represents a tangible manifestation of the Faculty of Law UGM’s commitment to fulfilling the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, particularly in the value of community service. Through the provision of legal understanding and close cooperation with various stakeholders, this outreach program is expected to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 4 on quality education through the dissemination of knowledge, Goal 16 on strong institutions through the active role of village officials, and Goal 17 through inter-institutional collaboration in the implementation of this program.
Writer: Benediktus Concilio Sinaga (PKBH)
