UNS — The Rector of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Prof. Jamal Wiwoho, encouraging lecturer of Customary Law course to be brave in creating innovation. This encouragement when attending Workshop on “Finalization and Confirmation of Customary Law RPS (Semester Learning Plan)” held online through Zoom Cloud Meeting, Saturday (12/12/2020).
Prof. Jamal considers that the lack of innovation in the Customary Law course makes the materials delivered to students are similar. The lack of innovation also leads to difficulty in developing the course. “The course demands innovation in the learning process and renewal (of course material), which is a challenge for lecturers to develop Customary Law course like other law courses,” Prof. Jamal stated.
In the workshop managed by the Association of Customary Law Lecturers (Asosiasi Pengajar Hukum Adat – APHA), Prof. Jamal mentioned that the lack of renewal in the course material is also caused by the lack of references to customary law. He added that lecturers face challenges in creating interesting material to attract millennials’ attention. Lecturers are also expected to renew their materials and bring in the innovative learning method. “I’m not sure of the cause, but references for Customary Law is limited; it is hard to find the updated version of the book,” he stated.
Customary Law in Indonesia, according to Prof. Jamal, is proof of the existence of the indigenous people. Prof. Jamal stated that indigenous people could not be separated from the Indonesian community because it is regulated in Article 18B UUD 1945 (Indonesia 1945 Constitution). However, the legal norms have not been implemented optimally and currently tend to be neglected in national legal development. “It is also increasingly marginalizing indigenous peoples’ laws,” Prof. Jamal explained.
The marginalized customary law also received special attention from Prof. Jamal. He stated that customary should become the identity of the nation. Besides that, the comprehension of customary law cannot stop at the concept; it also demands appropriate implementation. Prof. Jamal took an example of the court ruling method. For Prof. Jamal, juries should study the norms in the community. However, in its practice, the law enforcement apparatus from police, prosecutor, judges, and lawyer only views a lawsuit from the positive legal perspective and ignores the community’s norms. “Research and study on customary law need to be revived to bring benefits in national legal development,” he stated.
Prof. Jamal also considers that the political law and the paradigm of legal development in Indonesia need to be reconstructed. This reconstruction will ensure that national legal development will indeed emphasize exploration and search for legal values that live and grow in society. If this method is implemented, Prof. Jamal is optimistic that the national legal development will align with the community’s legal values. Prof. Jamal also hopes that the reconstruction of legal politics and development will bring advancement for the society without losing their identity as a communal and religious-magical nation. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti