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Access to justice is a constitutional right that is often difficult for vulnerable groups to access, thus triggering legal disparities and systemic injustice. This study aims to analyze the urgency of legal assistance by advocates and Legal Aid Institutions (LBH) as a protection instrument for individuals facing legal arbitrariness. Using normative legal research methods supported by a statute approach, this study evaluates the effectiveness of the implementation of the Legal Aid Law in Indonesia. The results show that legal assistance functions not only as technical representation in court, but also as a balancing power relationship between the state or powerful entities and citizens. Legal assistance plays a vital role in mitigating violations of legal procedures (due process of law) often experienced by victims of injustice. However, structural obstacles such as limited state budgets and low public legal literacy remain major obstacles. This study concludes that strengthening the free legal aid scheme (pro bono publico) integrated with strict judicial oversight is essential to ensure that justice belongs not only to those with financial resources, but also to all citizens without exception.

Land dispute issues are still frequently occurring in Indonesia, one of the main causes being the issuance of duplicate land certificates originating from a centralized land administration system that is vulnerable to data manipulation and recording errors, despite the enactment of Law No. 5 of 1960 concerning Basic Agrarian Principles and its implementing regulations. Blockchain emerges as an information technology innovation based on decentralization that has the potential to strengthen legal certainty through a secure, transparent, and tamper-proof recording system. Normative support for digitalization is also reflected in Law No. 11 of 2008 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions and Law No. 27 of 2022 concerning Personal Data Protection, although its implementation in the national land system remains suboptimal. This study aims to examine legal regulations regarding blockchain implementation in Indonesia’s land administration system and to conduct a comparative analysis with Georgia. The research method used is normative legal research with a prescriptive and applied-technical approach, using statutory, comparative, and conceptual approaches. The findings show that Indonesian regulations already support the digitalization of land registration through policies of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN). However, blockchain integration is still required, particularly through a hybrid system combining cloud computing and blockchain to prevent duplicate land certificates. Since 2016, Georgia has implemented blockchain in its land registration system, resulting in improved efficiency, transparency, and data security. Therefore, there is potential to adapt this model in Indonesia to enhance land administration, legal certainty, and the protection of land rights.

The banking sector, as an intermediary institution, plays a strategic role in the national economy. However, the absence of regulations that explicitly limit the maximum loan interest rate in legislation creates a legal vacuum that has the potential to harm borrowers and weaken legal protections. The research questions in this study are: (1) How are loan interest rates determined under positive law in Indonesia; (2) What legal protections are in place for customers against the risk of loss resulting from the misuse of loan interest rate setting. This study employs a normative legal research method using a legislative and conceptual approach, along with the collection of legal materials through a literature review. The research findings indicate that existing regulations, including Financial Services Authority Regulation No. 13 of 2024, only address the transparency of the Base Lending Rate without setting a maximum limit, thereby creating a regulatory gap. Legal protection for customers includes preventive legal protection through transparency and supervision, as well as repressive legal protection through dispute resolution mechanisms and the provision of compensation; however, its implementation remains suboptimal. Therefore, regulatory strengthening is necessary to ensure legal certainty and fair protection for debtor customers.

Economic globalization has significantly transformed patterns of labor relations and expanded cross-border labor mobility. These developments necessitate alignment between national labor laws and international labor standards. The International Labour Organization plays a leading role in establishing global standards through various labor conventions and recommendations. This study aims to examine the concept of harmonizing national labor laws with international standards, assess its implementation in Indonesia, and identify the challenges faced. The study employs a normative legal method using legislative, conceptual, and comparative approaches. The results indicate that Indonesia has adopted most international standards; however, implementation still faces structural, cultural, and economic obstacles. Legal harmonization is a strategic step to enhance worker protection while maintaining national economic competitiveness.

The implementation of civil justice in Indonesia is fundamentally guided by the principles of simplicity, speed, and low cost. However, in practice, the regulation concerning the time limits for summons and the determination of trial schedules remains inadequate, leading to legal uncertainty. This study aims to analyze the legal certainty of time limits in summons and trial scheduling within civil procedural law, as well as to examine its implications for the effectiveness of case resolution. This research employs a normative legal method with statutory and conceptual approaches, supported by a descriptive-analytical design. The findings indicate that existing regulations, particularly those derived from the Herzien Inlandsch Reglement (HIR) and Rechtsreglement voor de Buitengewesten (RBg), only provide minimum standards for summons but do not comprehensively regulate the timeframe for determining the first hearing or intervals between subsequent hearings. As a result, there is broad discretion in judicial practice, which leads to inconsistencies among courts, repeated trial delays, increased litigation costs, and reduced access to justice. Although recent reforms through electronic court systems have improved the mechanism of summons delivery, they have not sufficiently addressed the issue of time management in trial proceedings. This study concludes that the absence of clear and comprehensive regulations on trial timeframes weakens legal certainty and hinders the realization of efficient judicial processes. Therefore, strengthening normative regulations on trial scheduling is essential to support a more effective, predictable, and equitable civil justice system.

This research is motivated by the existence of customary law as  a living law that is constitutionally  recognized and applied by the Dayak Bahau Community in Keliwai Village in solving the crime of theft. This practice prioritizes local wisdom and social balance through  the Antang and Mekau customary fine mechanism  as an alternative settlement outside the formal state criminal justice system. However, there are legal issues regarding the effectiveness of sanctions in providing a deterrent effect and protecting the rights of victims, especially vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities. The research uses socio-legal research methods  with a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews with traditional chiefs, victims' families, and community leaders. The results of the study show that the implementation of Antang (large urns) and Mekau (small urns) customary fines is carried out through customary deliberations led by the Customary Chief by involving the perpetrators, victims, and families. Philosophically, these fines function as a symbol of "village cleansing" (Ngaping Umaq) to restore the disturbed cosmic balance. Socially, this mechanism has proven to be effective in resolving conflicts and maintaining community harmony. However, the effectiveness of customary fines in terms of restoring victims' rights is considered not optimal. In certain cases, there is a significant gap between the value of the fine imposed and the real material losses suffered by the victim, so that the goal of restorative justice has not been fully achieved for the victim.

Contract law recognizes the concept of force majeure as a mechanism to address extraordinary circumstances that hinder the performance of obligations, namely unforeseen events beyond the debtor’s control that may result in the release or suspension of obligations. However, this concept has limitations, as it does not encompass situations such as economic or monetary crises. In the development of international contract law, the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts 2016 (UPICC) introduce the concept of hardship as a response to fundamental changes in circumstances that affect the economic equilibrium of the parties. Although hardship has not been explicitly recognized in Indonesian law, it is considered more relevant for addressing such conditions.This study aims to examine the historical development of the concept of hardship and to analyze the implementation of its underlying values in Indonesian legal practice. The method employed is normative legal research, utilizing primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials. The findings indicate that, despite the absence of explicit regulation within the national legal system, the values of hardship have been reflected in several court decisions through approaches grounded in fairness and contractual adjustment.The implication of this study is that the concept of hardship has the potential to be explicitly adopted into Indonesian contract law in order to fill existing legal gaps and provide a more adaptive solution to changing circumstances, particularly in addressing economic or monetary crises that fall outside the scope of the force majeure regime

This research aims to analyze the legal protection of workers' rights during Termination of Employment (PHK) due to company bankruptcy, as well as assessing the conformity between applicable legal provisions and practice in the field. The method used is normative legal research with a statutory and factual approach. The research examines various legal regulations related to employment and bankruptcy, as well as the implementation of these regulations in resolving employment disputes. The research results show that the regulation of layoffs according to Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning Job Creation emphasizes that layoffs are the termination of the employment relationship due to certain things which result in the end of the rights and obligations between workers and employers which is a last resort. In practice, however, workers often experience difficulties in obtaining their normative rights, especially when companies face financial instability or insolvency. Then the responsibilities that can be carried out by companies to realize fair legal protection for workers are divided into 2 (two) efforts, namely preventive and repressive. Preventive efforts include compliance with labor regulations and transparent communication, while repressive efforts are carried out through dispute settlement and fulfillment of workers’ compensation rights. This research confirms the existence of a gap between legal norms and practice in the field. Therefore, it is necessary to increase legal awareness and strengthen regulatory enforcement to ensure the fulfillment of the rights of workers affected by layoffs.

Malpractice in the health professions is one of the issues that can cause harm to patients, health professionals, and healthcare institutions. A lack of understanding among students as prospective health professionals regarding ethical aspects, legal principles, professional standards, and proper service procedures may increase the risk of malpractice. This Community Service activity aims to provide students of STIKES Pasapua Ambon with an understanding of the concept of malpractice, the factors causing malpractice, and preventive efforts through the implementation of professional ethics, compliance with standard operating procedures, effective communication, and the improvement of professional competence. The activity was carried out through counseling, educational sessions, interactive discussions, and guidance on health law for participants. The results of the activity indicate an increase in students’ knowledge and awareness of the importance of understanding the limits of professional authority, legal responsibility, and preventive measures to avoid malpractice in healthcare practice. This activity is expected to help develop future health professionals who are professional, ethical, and responsible in providing safe and high-quality healthcare services.

The Juvenile Criminal Justice System (SPPA) in Indonesia is a manifestation of special protection for children in conflict with the law, prioritizing the principles of restorative justice and diversion. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the SPPA based on Law Number 11 of 2012 concerning the Juvenile Criminal Justice System and to identify the legal challenges that arise in its practice. The research method used is normative legal with a legislative and conceptual approach. The results of the study show that although the regulations mandate diversion efforts as a top priority in resolving juvenile cases, there are still obstacles in its implementation, both in terms of the readiness of law enforcement officials, limited supporting facilities, and the perception of the community, which still tends to expect a retributive (punitive) approach. In addition, the protection of children's rights during the judicial process is often not optimally fulfilled. This analysis concludes that strengthening inter-agency coordination and increasing law enforcement officials' understanding of restorative justice are key to the effectiveness of this system. Further regulatory harmonization and strengthening the role of the Correctional Center in overseeing the diversion process are needed to ensure that the best interests of the child remain the top priority at every stage of the judicial process

This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of legal capacity-building for Temporary Land Deed Officials (PPATS) in the preparation of land deeds in Aceh Besar Regency, Aceh Province. The research employs an empirical juridical method with a qualitative approach, utilizing data collection techniques including interviews, observation, and document analysis. This approach enables a comprehensive examination of both the normative framework and its practical implementation in the field. The findings indicate that the effectiveness of capacity-building for PPATS remains suboptimal, as the existing programs are largely administrative, incidental, and insufficient in addressing substantive legal aspects. Several factors influence this condition, including the non-legal educational background of PPATS, prevailing community legal culture, limitations in training programs, weak institutional coordination, and social pressures encountered in the practice of land deed preparation. These challenges contribute to a low level of material competence and legal prudence among PPATS in carrying out their duties. Accordingly, there is a need for a more sustainable, contextual, and competency-based capacity-building model to enhance the professionalism of PPATS. Such an approach is essential to strengthen their substantive legal understanding, improve the quality of land deeds, and ultimately support the realization of legal certainty in land administration services.

Corruption remains a persistent challenge in Indonesia because it weakens public trust, undermines welfare, and obstructs equitable development. This article examines how Aristotle’s virtue ethics can contribute to anti-corruption efforts by addressing the moral roots of corrupt behavior. The study argues that corruption is not only a legal or administrative violation but also a failure of character, judgment, and commitment to the common good. Using a qualitative conceptual design, the article employs philosophical analysis, a structured literature review, and Socratic questioning to examine the relationship between virtue, leadership, and public integrity. The analysis identifies three principal roots of corruption: weak moral character, poor ethical judgment, and self-interest over the common good. It shows that Aristotelian ethics offers an integrated response through the cultivation of moral virtue, intellectual virtue, and practical wisdom. The findings suggest that virtue-based ethics is most effective when combined with anti-corruption education, ethical leadership, stronger rule-of-law implementation, and institutional arrangements that reduce opportunities for abuse of power. Aristotle’s framework does not provide a complete solution, but it offers a valuable normative foundation for strengthening ethical public culture in Indonesia.

Legal protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) remains a strategic issue in the context of global labor mobility, particularly given the complexity of challenges encompassing legal, social, economic, and cross-border governance dimensions. Although Indonesia has ratified the 1990 Migrant Workers Convention through Law No. 6 of 2012 and enacted Law No. 18 of 2017 on the Protection of PMI, the implementation of such protections continues to face significant obstacles. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of legal protection for PMI, including non-procedural workers and their family members, as well as to evaluate the role of the state and relevant institutions in ensuring comprehensive protection. Employing a normative juridical method, data were collected through document analysis and literature review. The findings reveal a gap between the existing legal framework and its implementation, as evidenced by weak inter-agency coordination, limited diplomatic capacity, and low levels of legal literacy among prospective migrant workers. Furthermore, contemporary issues such as covert human trafficking, violations of migrant workers’ children’s rights, and inconsistencies in the enforcement of bilateral MoUs exacerbate the vulnerability of PMI, particularly in the informal sector. This study recommends strengthening community-based protection mechanisms, reforming migration governance, and mainstreaming human rights and gender-sensitive approaches in migration policies.

Freedom of expression is one of the fundamental rights that serves as the primary foundation of modern democratic systems. This right is not only recognized in international legal instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 19, but is also explicitly guaranteed in the constitutions of democratic states, including Article 28E paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. This study aims to analyze the position of freedom of expression as an essential pillar of democracy within the human rights framework, examine constitutional protection mechanisms and applicable limitations, and evaluate its implementation in the Indonesian legal system. The research method employed is normative legal research with a statute approach, conceptual approach, and comparative approach. The findings indicate that freedom of expression is not merely an individual right, but a collective instrument that enables meaningful public participation in democratic processes. Restrictions on this freedom must fulfill the requirements of legality, necessity, and proportionality as established by the Siracusa Principles. In Indonesia, the primary challenge lies in regulatory plurality that potentially creates overlapping provisions and the risk of criminalizing legitimate expression, particularly through the implementation of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE).

Village institutions play an important role in supporting participatory and sustainable rural development. The Village Law No. 6 of 2014 recognizes village autonomy and emphasizes the importance of community participation through Village Community Institutions (Lembaga Kemasyarakatan Desa/LKD). However, the implementation of these institutions in practice has not always functioned effectively. This study aims to analyze the role of village community institutions in supporting village development and to identify the factors that influence their effectiveness in Oematamboli Village, Lobalain District, Rote Ndao Regency. This research employs an empirical legal research method with a qualitative approach. Data were obtained through interviews and field observations involving village government officials, community institution administrators, and community leaders, while secondary data were obtained from documents and relevant regulations. The results indicate that the functions of LKD, including the Community Empowerment Institution (LPM), Neighborhood Associations (RT), and Community Associations (RW), have not been implemented optimally in supporting village development. This condition is reflected in the limited participation of LKD in development planning, weak absorption of community aspirations, and low community participation in development activities. Several factors influencing this condition include limited human resource capacity, inadequate infrastructure, low community participation, and limited development funding. Therefore, strengthening institutional capacity, improving coordination, and increasing community participation are necessary to enhance the effectiveness of village development.

The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation of employment agreements as one of the means of providing legal protection for workers’ rights. The research method employed in this study is normative juridical, utilizing primary and secondary legal materials obtained through the analysis of statutory regulations, legal scholars’ opinions, as well as books and journals relevant to the subject under study. The results of the study indicate that employment agreements, as a form of preventive legal protection for workers’ rights, are a consequence of the application of the welfare state concept, thereby requiring the state to intervene in employment relationships arising from such agreements. This form of intervention can be observed in Law Number 13 of 2003 concerning Manpower. The provisions contained in this law, particularly Article 54 paragraph (1) of Law Number 13 of 2003 concerning Manpower, constitute a form of preventive legal protection, especially in points (e) and (f), as they regulate economic rights as well as the rights and obligations of workers. These provisions provide protection and serve as a form of legal certainty that safeguards workers from the beginning of their employment. The obstacles encountered in the implementation of employment agreements as a preventive means of protecting workers’ rights are divided into three factors: regulatory factors, legal culture factors, and legal structure factors.

One of the long-standing marriage traditions in the Ende community is the ana ale marriage tradition. Ana ale marriage is a form of marriage based on an agreement between the parents of the man and woman, as well as a long-established good relationship between both parents. This research was conducted in Tiwu Tewa Village, Ende Timur District, Ende Regency. This research aims to understand the fundamental values contained in marriage as viewed from customary law, the process of implementation and its legitimacy, as well as the obstacles in the implementation of the ana ale marriage. The method used is empirical legal research with a qualitative approach, which includes interviews and literature study. The research results show that the fundamental values contained in the ana ale marriage, as viewed from customary law, consist of sacred and spiritual values, responsibility and commitment values, social and mutual assistance values, and adherence to customs. The process of implementing the ana ale marriage includes Ru’u Tu Jaga Rara, Janji, Puzi Ru’u, Teo Zambu, Bou Engga, Mai Tu Gega Padha, Tu Ngawi, Teke Ngara, Dari Nikah, Tu Ana. Meanwhile, the marriage is considered valid at the Tu Ana ceremony. The obstacles faced in the ana ale marriage include economic factors and the occurrence of clandestine marriages by the female party.

The abuse of authority by public officials within Indonesia’s governmental administration has become an increasingly urgent issue to address. Such misconduct undermines the fundamental principles of good governance  including transparency, accountability, and justice which are essential for ensuring efficient and effective government operations. This study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the forms of abuse of authority by public officials, the factors influencing such behavior, and its impact on the effectiveness of governance and public trust. The research employs a normative approach with a prescriptive legal method, analyzing legislation related to the abuse of authority as well as a case-based approach to explore the implementation of authority by public officials in governmental practice.The findings indicate that abuse of authority may occur in various forms, such as exceeding the limits of granted power, conflating different authorities, or acting arbitrarily for personal or group interests  all of which contradict the principle of legality governing governmental actions. Moreover, such practices negatively affect the quality of public services and tarnish the image of governmental institutions. The study also finds that although Law No. 30 of 2014 on Government Administration provides a clear legal framework, its implementation remains hindered by weak internal and external oversight systems. Therefore, this research recommends strengthening more effective supervision mechanisms, enhancing transparency in administrative decision-making processes, and involving the public in monitoring efforts to ensure that public officials exercise their authority in accordance with established objectives in pursuit of a clean and just government.

General elections constitute a fundamental pillar of Indonesia’s democratic system, functioning as a mechanism for the exercise of popular sovereignty and the protection of citizens’ voting rights. During the 2024 Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) election in Tarakan City, the Badan Pengawas Pemilu Kota Tarakan recorded twelve reports of alleged administrative violations throughout the electoral stages, including during the national vote recapitulation process. Of these reports, three allegations were proven, involving violations related to the Additional Voter List, the Special Voter List, and the eligibility requirements of candidates running for the Tarakan City DPRD in 2024. Essentially, election law enforcement serves as a safeguard to ensure fairness, legal certainty, and the protection of citizens’ constitutional right to vote. This study aims to examine the implementation of legal enforcement mechanisms against administrative violations in the 2024 Tarakan City DPRD election. A socio-legal research approach was employed to analyze both normative regulations and their practical application. Referring to Peraturan Bawaslu Nomor 8 Tahun 2022 concerning the Settlement of Administrative Violations of General Elections, the findings indicate that the Tarakan City Bawaslu holds authority in adjudicating and imposing sanctions on proven violations. As a result, one candidate, Erick Hendrawan Septian Putra, was disqualified from Electoral District 1. Furthermore, sanctions were imposed on the chairpersons and members of Polling Station 88 in Karang Anyar and Polling Station 2 in Pamusian for failing to carry out their duties as voting organizing groups in the election and subsequent processes.

The determination of a minimum marriage age is a central issue in Indonesian family law and Islamic legal discourse, particularly regarding the prevention of health, social, and psychological risks associated with child marriage. This study analyzes the alignment between the legal requirement of a minimum age of 19, as stipulated in Law No. 16 of 2019 and Constitutional Court Decision No. 22/PUU-XV/2017, and the framework of maqāṣid sharī‘ah, especially the hierarchical structure of dharuriyyāt, ḥājiyyāt, and taḥsīniyyāt. Employing a normative juridical method supported by extensive literature review, this research examines statutory regulations, classical and contemporary Islamic legal sources, works on maqāṣid, and empirical data from national and international institutions. The findings demonstrate that the minimum age of 19 substantively accords with maqāṣid sharī‘ah: at the dharuriyyāt level, it safeguards life, intellect, and lineage from medical, psychological, and social harm; at the ḥājiyyāt level, it prevents economic hardship, emotional instability, and the inability of young couples to assume household roles; and at the taḥsīniyyāt level, it preserves human dignity, ethical conduct, and the sanctity of marriage. Consequently, the regulation is not a departure from classical Islamic jurisprudence but rather an implementation of public interest (maṣlaḥah) adapted to contemporary societal realities. This study affirms that integrating maqasid-based reasoning into public policy strengthens the protection of families and future generations in Indonesia.