Faculty of Law (FH) Hasanuddin University (UNHAS) successfully held a guest lecture on “Comparative Law Research: What is Access to Justice for People with Disabilities?”. The event, held virtually via Zoom Meeting on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, at 10:00 a.m. WITA (Central Indonesian Time), featured legal expert Prof. Stephen Rosenbaum, JD., MPP, from the Law School at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of the TRG Disability Law and Policy Research Group. Also present at the guest lecture was Prof. Dr. Iin Karita Sakharina, S.H., M.A., Vice Dean II of the Faculty of Law and Head of the TRG Disability Law and Policy Research Group. This event provided a strategic discussion platform for the academic community to examine the comparative legal systems in fulfilling the rights of people with disabilities.
In his presentation, Prof. Rosenbaum highlighted the importance of a comparative law approach to understanding how various jurisdictions around the world formulate inclusive policies. This study encouraged participants to view disability issues beyond a medical perspective, but rather to firmly position them as a comprehensive human rights and justice issue. Comparative understanding is considered essential for identifying legal gaps and adopting best practices from countries that already have comprehensive disability rights protection frameworks.
Prof. Rosenbaum also emphasized the importance of clinical and doctrinal legal education in developing future lawyers, judges, and civil society leaders who are sensitive to the needs of marginalized communities. Through the clinical program, law students are expected to collaborate with disability organizations to develop practical guides or toolkits that facilitate navigation within the legal system. Furthermore, the discussion emphasized that access to justice is not solely focused on providing legal aid, but also on ensuring that every stage and facility of justice is fully accessible without discrimination.
The hosting of this Guest Lecture is a concrete manifestation of the academic commitment to supporting the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the ideas discussed in this forum align with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by promoting improvements to the justice system to make it more inclusive and provide legal certainty for all parties. Furthermore, this initiative also directly contributes to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by highlighting the importance of eliminating discrimination, ensuring that equal rights under the law for people with disabilities can be realized.
