CAUPLI Inaugural Workshop 2024 – A Visit to the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The Centre for Asian Legal Studies – Universitas Gadjah Mada Fakultas Hukum Peer Learning Initiative (CAUPLI) is pleased to announce a successful student visit to the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 26 September to 29 September 2024. This visit was held in conjunction with the inaugural CAUPLI workshop titled ‘An Introduction to the Basics of Singapore Company Law’ (the “Workshop”).

As part of CALS’ wider initiative to promote the learning of the Indonesian legal system, laws, and culture, students from CAUPLI first paid a visit to the Sleman District Court where they were shown around the various courtrooms and given an opportunity to engage in a lively discussion with the court’s judges on a variety of issues. They were also given an opportunity to observe a criminal matter, where they learned how criminal deliberations were made through a criminal bench of three judges, rather than the one-man coram that is seen in Singapore. They also learnt that the district courts in Indonesia have jurisdiction to hear serious criminal matters such as murder, unlike the position in Singapore where capital matters are commenced in the General Division of the High Court. Their visit to the Sleman District Court was kindly assisted and facilitated by CALS Research Associate and CAUPLI’s Co-Project Advisor, Ratu Durotun Nafisah.

Throughout the four-day visit, the students had ample opportunities to interact with their counterparts from the Universitas Gadjah Mada Fakultas Hukum (“UGM Law”), informally learning more about the differences between Indonesian and Singaporean laws. Reflecting on his experience, Xu Chong observes that, “Indonesia’s embrace of legal pluralism, with its coexistence of state law and adat (customary law), allows for significant regional autonomy, particularly in matters concerning family and land rights”. In contrast, Singapore’s unitary legal system, “which emphasises uniformity and centralisation”, leaves little room for customary practices.

For his part, Bryan Liow shared his views on the different legal education that Singaporean and Indonesian students receive. He notes that “the idea of moots in Singapore is quite different from moots in Indonesia”. In Singapore, “local moots are modelled after international moots which mean that Singaporean law students will only ever play the role of appellant/respondent”. This stands in contrast with the mooting experience of Indonesian law students, which “require teams to cover roles ranging from judges to lawyers and even the court administrator”.

The students also had a chance to be exposed to Indonesian culture. Visits were made to both the Museum Sonobudoyo to watch a cultural performance and the Raminten Cabaret Show.

The main highlight of the trip, though, was conducting the inaugural Workshop titled ‘An Introduction to the Basics of Singapore Company Law’. Held on Saturday, 28 September 2024, 53 Indonesian law students from the Yogyakarta region were introduced to the Singaporean legal system and various aspects of Singaporean company law. The NUS Law Peer Tutors, in this regard, not only confidently shared their knowledge, but were also able to draw the appropriate comparisons with Indonesian company law. Reflecting on their experience, Andre Chua and Yeow Yu I both agreed that the experience had allowed them to learn more about themselves, and the specific presentation technique that worked for them. Andre, for example, observes that the Q&A session at the end of his session “reinforced the importance of anticipating difficult questions and thinking critically on the spot”. Yu I, in contrast, shared that she had “learned the importance of reading the room and pacing [herself] according to the audience’s energy levels”. Ultimately, she stated, “being genuine and allowing my personality to shine through made a significant impact in allowing me to feel more comfortable in front of everybody”.

This visit comes on the back of CAUPLI’s recently concluded inaugural reciprocal workshop titled ‘An Introduction to the Basics of Indonesian Company Law’. Together, both workshops enable Singaporean and Indonesian law students to build a beneficial and conducive environment to learn about the civil law and common law systems respectively. Indeed, Kang Zhi Qing, CAUPLI’s Project Director, noted that “company law is a dynamic field that reflects economic developments, cultural contexts and social values in our respective countries”. Through CAUPLI, she hopes that law students can deepen their understanding of company law’s complexity so they may be better positioned to overcome the challenges that might exist in the future.

This visit marks the end of CAUPLI’s inaugural run. CALS would like to take this opportunity to thank UGM Law for its hospitality in hosting the CAUPLI students, and to the UGM Law faculty and students for taking valuable time out to engage with the students.