The history of the founding of the Faculty of Law at Universitas Negeri Semarang cannot be separated from the development of various faculties within Semarang State University, especially the Faculty of Social Sciences (FIS) which was instrumental in the birth of the UNNES Faculty of Law.
It started when Semarang State University, which at that time was called IKIP Semarang, integrated the B-1 and B-II courses into the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) Diponegoro University Semarang on January 1 1961, three years later, based on PTIP Ministerial Decree Number 35 In 1964, on May 4 1964, FKIP Undip changed to IKIP Yogyakarta, Semarang Branch, at which time there were 4 (four) faculties, the Faculty of Educational Sciences, the Social Sciences Teaching Faculty, the Literature and Arts Teaching Faculty and the Exact Sciences Teaching Faculty.
Seeing the dynamics of society and the need for teachers, not even one IKIP Yogyakarta Semarang Branch has been operational, finally based on considerations of the prospects for the development of the Teachers’ Institute in the City of Semarang, PTIP Ministerial Decree dated March 8 1965 No. 40 was issued concerning the Determination of the IKIP Yogyakarta Semarang Branch to become IKIP Semarang, which was later ratified by Presidential Decree No.271 of 1965 dated September 14 1965.
Based on PTIP Ministerial Decree No.40 of 1965, the Faculty of Social Sciences has 5 (five) departments, namely: History Department, Geography Department, General Economics Department, Corporate Economics Department and Legal Civics Department. Of the five majors, Legal Civics is the major that is related to the Legal Studies Program. This can be seen from the composition of courses in the study program curriculum. The department which had to change names (Civics Law in 1965, Pancacila Moral Education Department in 1975, Pancacila Moral and Citizenship Education Department in 1982, Pancasila and Citizenship Education Department in 1992, and Law and Citizenship Department in 2000), the Study Program has The curriculum content of which no less than fifty percent is the courses commonly given in the Legal Studies study program in Indonesia. This condition causes the availability of teaching staff in the Department of Law and Citizenship who have a higher legal education background.
In 1999, Presidential Decree Number 124/1999 dated 7 October 1999 was issued concerning the change of IKIP Semarang, IKIP Bandung, and IKIP Medan to become universities. The status of IKIP Semarang changed to Semarang State University. This change has had a big impact and change for Semarang State University, which not only has a role as an Educational Personnel Education Institution (LPTK), but can also open non-educational study programs to produce professional staff other than teachers. As a follow-up to the Presidential Decree, Minister of Education and Culture Decree Number 278/O/1999 concerning the Organization and Work Procedures of Semarang State University and Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture Number 225/O/2000 concerning the Statute of Semarang State University were issued. The issuance of the decisions above had the consequence of a wider mandate for Unnes to develop itself through the opening of non-education study programs. On the basis of these various regulations, the Department of Law and Citizenship, Faculty of Social Sciences, in 2001 opened a new Bachelor of Law Study Program.
So, officially, the Bachelor of Law Department at Semarang State University has been established since 2001. With the issuance of Law No. 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System which regulates the administration of higher education, the existence of various study programs within Semarang State University must also be implemented. comply with the Law. Article 62 of the National Education System Law clearly requires that every formal and non-formal education unit established must obtain permission from the Government or Regional Government.
De facto, the Law Study Program at Semarang State University has been established since September 4 2001, namely since the start of the first lectures for the first class of 2001 students, in the Odd Semester 2001/2002. The opening of this new study program received quite a positive response from the public, as proven of the applicants accepted in 2001 there were 64 students. This is not a small amount for a new study program whose existence is not yet known by the wider community. In 2002, interest in the Legal Studies Program increased, namely 113 prospective students were accepted as students in the Legal Studies Study Program, with more than 200 applicants. In 2003, the number of 386 applicants who were accepted as students was 134. In 2004, because permits for providing education had not yet been issued, the Law Study Program only accepted 74 prospective new students out of 304 applicants.
With the issuance of the Permit for Organizing Undergraduate Legal Studies at Semarang State University on December 16 2004 through the Permit of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Department of National Education Number 4796/D/T/2004, the academic management of the Legal Studies Study Program has increasingly received references. For this reason After the permit for the implementation of the Legal Studies Program was issued, even though the existence of the Legal Studies Program was still under the Faculty of Social Sciences. So in 2005, 2006 and 2007, the Legal Studies Program was able to attract prospective new students not only through local university selection (SPMU) but also national selection, namely through the New Student Admissions Selection (SPMB).
It cannot be denied that the demand for increasing competence in the legal field is closely related to the dynamics of social life, so that the existence of the Legal Studies Program under the auspices of the Faculty of Social Sciences is something that is in the spotlight both among the general public and academics. Many alumni of the UNNES Law Studies Study Program are always asked by graduate users regarding this status. Realizing this condition, the step taken by the study program management was to submit a proposal to upgrade the status of the Legal Studies Study Program to become a Faculty of Law. The submission of the Proposal to Increase the Status of the Legal Studies Program to become a Faculty of Law received a positive response from most members of the Semarang State University Senate. This was proven at the Semarang State University Senate Meeting on November 10 2007, the proposal to upgrade the Legal Studies Program to become a Faculty of Law was approved by the University Senate.
Through various processes, the existence of the Faculty of Law at Semarang State University finally received approval from the Directorate General of Higher Education, Department of National Education through a Permit to Open the Faculty of Law at Semarang State University, Number 3840/D/T/2007 dated November 19 2007. As a follow-up to the Directorate’s Permit General of Higher Education, Department of National Education, issued Decree of the Chancellor of Semarang State University Number 119/O/2007 concerning Upgrading the Legal Studies Program to Become the Law Faculty of Semarang State University, dated November 30 2007. Thus, the Faculty of Law of Semarang State University officially became the eighth faculty in the area. Semarang State University.
As an institutional complement to the faculty, in the context of carrying out academic, administrative and student affairs functions, the Decree of the Chancellor of Semarang State University was subsequently issued Number 139/P/2007 concerning the Appointment of the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Semarang State University dated 3 December 2007 and Decree of the Chancellor of Semarang State University Number 140/P /2007 concerning the Appointment of Assistant Deans within the Faculty of Law on 3 December 2007.
Higher Legal Education is a provider of human resources which are expected to support the upholding of law as a social sub-system. Therefore, Higher Legal Education can be a catalyst for the lives of people who have a high awareness of the law. In line with Law Faculties at other universities, the Faculty of Law at Semarang State University does not use the term department for division at the department level, but uses section nomenclature. In accordance with the Decree of the Chancellor of Semarang State University Number 04/P/2008 dated January 8 2008 and the Decree of the Dean of FH Unnes Number 01/FH/2008 dated February 6 2008 concerning Grouping of Lecturers within the Faculty of Law, Semarang State University, the Faculty of Law, Semarang State University has 3 part. These sections are: 1) Criminal Law Section, 2) Civil-Commercial Law Section and 3) Constitutional Law-State Administrative Law Section. From these parts, it is hoped that ideas, breakthroughs and activities can emerge that will encourage the development of the Faculty of Law, Semarang State University towards and becoming a faculty with a conservation perspective, an international reputation and a Pancasila character.
Current Development
The UNNES Faculty of Law is now growing rapidly. Various alumni from the UNNES Faculty of Law have occupied several important positions and professions, including Judges, Prosecutors, Lawyers, Notaries, Academics, Practitioners, Researchers, and others. The wide network of alumni from the Faculty of Law has made the Faculty of Law at UNNES increasingly well known to the public. So, in 2015, the Faculty of Law opened a Master of Law (S2) Study Program. The Faculty of Law is the only faculty that independently manages its postgraduate programs, so that its management and development are increasingly visible. This can be proven by the increase in applicants for the Master of Law (MIH) Program every year. UNNES Law Masters applicants also come from various circles and professions, including police, prosecutors, lawyers and academics.
Apart from opening the Master of Laws Program in 2015, the UNNES Faculty of Law is now opening International Classes at undergraduate level. This class is designed in such a way that it is able to meet the community’s need for Higher Legal Education. With the opening of the International Class program, the UNNES Faculty of Law has further strengthened its position as a major law university campus in Indonesia. Supporting this, the UNNES Faculty of Law was also selected from 10 study programs at UNNES that were submitted for International Accreditation from the Agency for Quality Assurance through the Accreditation of Study Programs (AQAS) as a clear step in building the reputation and quality of the institution and in 2021, the Science Study Program Law was successfully certified by international accreditation from the accreditation agency Agency for Quality Assurance through the Accreditation of Study Programs (AQAS).
In 2023, the UNNES Faculty of Law will be approved by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education to provide a Doctoral study program. The UNNES Faculty of Law continues to be committed to producing progressive law doctors, based on the science of divine law with a conservation perspective. As a commitment to developing legal science discourse in Indonesia.
Until 2024, the UNNES Faculty of Law will continue to collaborate internationally and encourage increased international mobility activities. In 2024, research and study development collaborations will be carried out with several well-known campuses abroad, including, University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Australia, Faculty of Law Jindal University India, Sunggong University South Korea, Faculty of Law Thammasat University, Faculty of Law Prince Songkla, University, and Faculty of Law, Pathumyani University Thailand. Apart from that, collaboration with the Islamic Science University Malaysia (USIM), Utrecht, University The Netherlands, Universität Göttingen Germany, Kyoto University, Tilburg University The Netherland, Northern Illinois University United States of America. Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia and University of Seoul South Korea.
The UNNES Faculty of Law is now increasingly well known and increasingly loved by the public. The UNNES Faculty of Law has a shared commitment to become a world-reputed law faculty, building a godly legal science, producing professional and humane legal people. Viva Justitia Faculty of Law, FH Our Dignity.
