Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of Indonesia, Professor Mohammad Mahfud MD, delivered a lecture titled “Rule of Law and Democracy: Is There Still Hope?” at the UGM Faculty of Law (FH UGM) Auditorium on Wednesday (Aug. 14).
This public lecture was moderated by Dr. Zainal Arifin Mochtar, a lecturer of Constitutional Law at FH UGM, who introduced Professor Mahfud to the students.
“Pak Mahfud is well-suited to discuss this topic. He is not only immersed in theoretical aspects but has also played a role in the law enforcement process. His perspective is backed by practical experience,” Dr. Mochtar explained.
In his presentation, Professor Mahfud discussed the current state of democracy and law in Indonesia.
“Our democracy today is not in a good condition,” said Professor Mahfud.
Ideally, according to him, the condition of law and democracy should be equally strong, with neither being weaker than the other because they are interdependent.
“When we want the state of law to be good, democracy in that country must also be good. Democracy without law will become wild and anarchic, while law without democracy is tyranny,” he added.
Professor Mahfud, who served as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court from 2008 to 2013, then recounted the early relationship between democracy and law in Indonesia and their dynamics today.
He mentioned the decision of Indonesia’s founding fathers to make Indonesia a democratic state. This democracy has experienced ups and downs with leadership changes, from President Soekarno to President Soeharto, and up to the present day.
This led to a participant’s question at the beginning of the discussion about whether there is hope for Indonesia’s current condition.
Professor Mahfud believes that hope still exists because the dynamics of democracy and law will always be present.
“This dynamic will always occur. Political developments can react to legal developments. This opportunity for change should be embraced by preparing a new wave of public awareness through educational institutions and civil society organizations,” he said.
This public lecture is part of a series of activities organized by the Department of Constitutional Law at FH UGM in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Democracy, Constitution, and Human Rights (Pandekha) at UGM.
This lecture is the opening event of two public lectures held to welcome the new academic year and inspire FH UGM students as they pursue their studies and careers in law.
Auditor: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif