Source: Untar Public Relations – VC

The Doctor of Law Program at Universitas Tarumanagara held an open doctoral defense session on Monday (May 18, 2026) at Untar Campus I, Jakarta. During the session, doctoral candidate Arief Setia Nugroho officially earned Universitas Tarumanagara’s 55th Doctor of Law degree after graduating with honors.

Arief defended his dissertation entitled “The Legal Construction of Mass Media Reporting as Supporting Evidence in Indonesia’s Criminal Justice System.” The research was motivated by the rapid development of information technology and the growing role of mass media in uncovering criminal acts, which are considered not yet fully aligned with Indonesia’s criminal procedural evidence system.

In his presentation, Arief, who currently serves as a member of the Special Task Force for the Handling and Resolution of Corruption Criminal Cases (Satgassus P3TPK) at the Kejaksaan Tinggi Daerah Khusus Jakarta, explained that the study aimed to analyze the legal construction of mass media reporting as supporting evidence and to formulate its position and evidentiary strength within Indonesia’s positive law framework.

The research employed a normative juridical method using statutory, conceptual, and systematic approaches. The findings revealed that Indonesia’s evidentiary system has begun moving toward greater openness, accommodating various forms of evidence provided they are obtained legally and do not violate the law.

In addition, mass media reporting was categorized as part of electronic evidence and other legally recognized forms of supporting evidence. Its evidentiary value is determined based on legality, credibility, verification, and the reliability of the information presented.

Rector of Universitas Tarumanagara, Prof. Dr. Amad Sudiro, S.H., M.H., M.Kn., M.M., who chaired the session, officially announced the graduation of Arief Setia Nugroho before the board of examiners during the open defense session of the Doctor of Law Program at Universitas Tarumanagara. (VC/YS)