Legal Literacy - Every time a new academic year begins, thousands of students with high idealism set foot in law faculties across the country. In their minds, there is an image of a brave legal expert—a defender of truth who stands at the forefront to uphold justice, like the heroes in courtroom dramas. However, as time goes by, that idealism is slowly eroded by the reality of the education system which, ironically, often produces legal "craftsmen" rather than justice "keepers."
Our legal higher education today seems to be trapped in a paradox. On the one hand, it aims to produce jurists with integrity. On the other hand, the curriculum and teaching methods unconsciously prioritize the approach legal-formalistik or what is often called positivisme hukum. Students are taught that law is what is written in the law, period. The main focus is on mastering articles, procedures, and legal doctrines rigidly.
In classrooms, students are trained to become reliable legal technicians. They are tested on their ability to memorize, analyze the text of laws, and find precedents to win a case. The question rarely moves into the philosophical realm: "Is this law fair?" or "What is the social impact of applying this article?" What is more often emphasized is, "How to use this article for the benefit of the client?"
As a result, law is reduced to just a game of strategy. Students are…
Faculty of Law, a Factory of 'Legal Craftsmen' or Guardians of Justice?
Unveiling the paradox of law faculties in Indonesia: do these institutions produce loophole-seeking technocrats or jurists with integrity who uphold justice? An in-depth analysis of educational reform...
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