On Tuesday, 6 April 2021, the Master of Litigation Law Student Association of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FH UGM) organized a National Webinar entitled “Examining the COVID-19 Vaccination Program from the Perspectives of Public Health, Human Rights, and Criminal Law.” The event was held virtually via Zoom Meeting and livestreamed through the Faculty’s YouTube channel, Kanal Pengetahuan FH UGM.
As part of the 2020 work program of the Master of Litigation Law students, the webinar aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the COVID-19 vaccination program from public health, human rights, and criminal law perspectives. A total of 171 participants attended the three-hour event.
Hosted by I Dewa Made Krishna Wiwekananda, the webinar featured three distinguished speakers and a moderator. The event commenced with opening remarks by Akhmad Haris Supriyanto, Chair of the Organizing Committee, followed by the official opening by Dr. Supriyadi, S.H., M.Hum., Head of the Master of Litigation Law Program at UGM.
The discussion session was moderated by Fani Laksmi Ramadhani and began with a presentation by dr. Mei Neni Sitaresmi, Sp.A(K)., Ph.D., entitled “The Effectiveness of Vaccination in Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic.” She emphasized the critical role of vaccination in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and reducing mortality rates associated with the disease.
The second presentation was delivered by Dr. Gregorius Sri Nurhartanto, S.H., LL.M., who discussed “The Dilemma Between Rights and Obligations in COVID-19 Vaccination from a Human Rights Perspective.”
He explained that the state has an obligation to provide vaccines to its citizens as part of its responsibility to uphold fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life and the right to a healthy environment. He further stressed that every individual also bears a responsibility to respect the rights of others by supporting efforts to control the pandemic.
The final session featured Dr(c). Aditya Wiguna Sanjaya, S.H., M.H.Li., who presented on “Criminal Law as an Ultimum Remedium in Cases of Refusal to Receive COVID-19 Vaccination.” He argued that refusing vaccination may be viewed as socially irresponsible, although it is not necessarily criminalized under existing laws. Should regulations concerning vaccine refusal be introduced, he emphasized that administrative sanctions should be prioritized, while criminal sanctions should only be applied as a measure of last resort (ultimum remedium).
The webinar concluded with an interactive discussion and question-and-answer session, during which participants demonstrated strong enthusiasm for the topic. Through this event, the organizers hoped to contribute to public education efforts by providing an effective platform for increasing awareness of the importance of vaccination in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
