Universitas Indonesia (UI), through the Faculty of Law (FH), in collaboration with the Commission on Legal Pluralism held an International Conference on Legal Pluralism with the theme “The Transformative Power of Legal Pluralism? Planetary Challenges in a Diverse and Multipolar World.” The conference, which took place on January 13-15, 2025, at the FHUI Balai Sidang, UI Depok Campus, was a continuation of the international course on Legal Pluralism held on January 8-11, 2025, at Wisma Makara UI.
The Dean of FHUI, Dr. Parulian Paidi Aritonang, S.H., LL.M., MPP, said that this conference aims to explore the dimensions of legal pluralism in facing global challenges, such as climate change, geopolitical tensions, and violent conflicts. The study of legal pluralism plays an important role in shaping the scientific development of the field of Legal Anthropology developed by the Department of Law and Society, FHUI.
“During the three days of the conference, there were so many panels held in parallel that discussed legal issues in various fields of society with a legal pluralism approach. Hopefully, the conference that was held will provide many new scientific lessons, build friendships, and provide meaningful impressions for all of us,” said Dr. Parulian.
The conference, which was held for three days, was attended by 150 academics and professionals from 25 countries, including activists, researchers, and policymakers who focus on socio-legal studies and legal pluralism. The discussion was divided into nine parallel sessions, which opened with a plenary session titled “Law, Democracy, Human Rights, and Ecological Justice in Contemporary Indonesia.” This session discussed the various challenges faced by Indonesia in the realm of law, democracy, and environmental justice by presenting several speakers moderated by Prof. Sulistyowati Irianto.
The first speaker, Prof. Todung Mulya Lubis, a lawyer and human rights activist, discussed the challenges of enforcing democratic principles due to abuse of authority that often occurs in various state institutions. The second speaker, Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, reviewed the impact of alienation from awareness of legal history on the direction of the nation and the future of democracy in Indonesia.
Next, Suraya Afiff, Ph.D, an anthropologist and environmental activist, spoke about the ongoing agrarian conflict, as well as its impact on ecological justice and environmental destruction. Meanwhile, Prof. M.R. Andri Gunawan Wibisana, an environmental law expert from FHUI, discussed the issue of corruption in the management of natural resources that causes losses to society and the environment.
After the opening plenary, the conference continued with a discussion of 19 panels that discussed various important topics of legal pluralism. Some of them include theoretical and conceptual aspects of legal pluralism, legal pluralism in intercultural justice, the relationship between humans and nature from a legal perspective, customary law and traditional authority, and religious family law and human rights.
Through the discussion panels, participants are expected to be able to broaden and deepen the discussion on legal pluralism in an increasingly complex global context. Academics, practitioners, and activists can exchange insights, build international networks, and encourage the creation of more inclusive and equitable legal solutions. This conference is an important momentum for the development of science and the formulation of legal policies that are more responsive to current global challenges.
