Amid the sweeping changes reshaping Indonesia's judicial system, marked by the introduction of the National Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP Nasional) 2025 and the growing prominence of restorative justice, universities are called upon to become the birthplace of a generation of law enforcers who are not only adept at interpreting statutes, but also attuned to the values of justice and humanity. This commitment was on full display at the “MA Goes to Campus” event held at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta on Thursday (25/6/2026), which brought court leaders into direct dialogue with students.

Featuring the Chief Justice of the Yogyakarta High Court, Prof. Dr. H. Herri Swantoro, and the Deputy Chief Justice of the Pandeglang District Court, Irwan Rosady, S.H., M.H., the forum served as a direct learning opportunity for hundreds of law students from various universities across the Special Region of Yogyakarta to gain insight into national legal developments and the challenges of upholding justice in Indonesia.

Moderated by Judicial Officer at the Legal and Public Relations Bureau of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia, Adji Prakoso, S.H., M.H., the discussion addressed two strategic issues: the changes to judicial authority following the enactment of Law No. 20 of 2025 on the National Criminal Procedure Code, and the development of the restorative justice approach within Indonesia's legal system.

In his presentation, Prof. Herri Swantoro explained that the National KUHAP introduces a number of fundamental changes affecting judicial practice in Indonesia. Among the most significant is the strengthening of oversight mechanisms for coercive measures such as searches, seizures, asset blocking, and actions taken under emergency circumstances.

The new KUHAP also introduces the concept of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), a mechanism whereby a prosecutor and defendant may reach an agreement to defer criminal proceedings, provided the defendant fulfils certain obligations such as compensating for losses or fulfilling other forms of accountability.

These changes, Prof. Herri noted, demonstrate that Indonesia's legal system continues to evolve toward a more effective judicial process oriented around substantive justice.

Before the assembled students, he also underscored integrity as the foremost foundation of the judicial profession, stressing that becoming a judge is not merely a career choice, but a life calling that demands a high degree of moral responsibility.

“The judicial profession is one steeped in trust. Integrity must therefore be its foremost value. A judge must be prepared to serve wherever they are placed, uphold ethical standards, and maintain the trust of the public,” he said.

He encouraged students from UIN Sunan Kalijaga's Faculty of Sharia and Law, as well as law students at other universities, to not hesitate in contributing to the world of the judiciary, whether as judges or in other roles as law enforcement officers.

Meanwhile, Irwan Rosady invited participants to view the law from a broader perspective through the lens of restorative justice. This approach, he argued, is essential for law students to understand, as it reveals that law does not exist in a vacuum but operates within the social realities of society.

He explained that restorative justice is not primarily oriented toward punishing offenders, but toward restoring harm to victims, repairing damaged social relationships, and ensuring that offenders take genuine responsibility for their actions.

Drawing on the thinking of restorative justice scholar Howard Zehr, Irwan identified three core questions at the heart of this approach: who has been harmed, what are their needs, and who bears the responsibility to repair that harm.

“Law students today cannot afford to simply understand statute by statute. They must possess social sensitivity and humanity in order to perceive justice in its fullest sense,” he said.

Restorative justice, Irwan noted, has deep roots in Indonesia's legal culture— a culture long familiar with conflict resolution through deliberation and local wisdom. Even so, its application must remain within the corridors of the law to ensure that no new injustices arise.

He affirmed that judges must ensure that every restorative agreement genuinely emerges from a responsible process that does not disadvantage any party. The approach may be applied in certain categories of cases, including juvenile cases, criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of five years, complaint-based offences, traffic cases, and minor criminal offences involving minimal losses.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, the presence of senior court leaders in an academic forum of this kind represents an important part of the university's ongoing effort to bridge the legal theory studied in the classroom with the evolving realities of judicial practice in the field.

The forum also reinforces UIN Sunan Kalijaga's commitment to producing law graduates who not only command the normative aspects of law, but also understand the institutional dynamics of the judiciary, the trajectory of regulatory reform, and the values of justice as they develop within society.

Through direct dialogue with judicial practitioners, students gained insight into the challenges of the judicial profession, the direction of national legal reform, and the critical importance of integrity and social sensitivity in law enforcement.

The event further demonstrated that a university serves not only as a center for the transfer of knowledge, but as a space for collaboration between academics and state institutions in shaping the future of Indonesian law, a future that is more just, humane, and responsive to the needs of society.

For students, this forum offered a valuable opportunity to understand that law is not merely a collection of statutes and procedures, but an instrument for delivering justice with dignity. For the judicial world, dialogue with universities remains an essential means of preparing a generation of law enforcers who are professional, principled, and ready to meet the challenges of the times. (humassk)