Fake Diplomas, Real Consequences: Legal and Ethical Challenges in the Legal Profession

This study discusses the role of ethics in the legal profession in Indonesia, as well as the challenges faced by this profession in the digital era. Professional ethics for lawyers serve as the main foundation in maintaining integrity, credibility, and public trust in the legal system. Based on an analysis of the lawyer’s code of ethics, Law Number 18 of 2003, and related regulations, this study identifies the importance of implementing ethical principles such as integrity, honesty, and competence in legal practice. Violations of the code of ethics, as seen in the electronic ID card (e-KTP) corruption case, can damage public trust in both the legal profession and the legal system. This research uses a normative approach with doctrinal analysis of regulations and legal literature. The findings show that, although the lawyer's code of ethics provides guidelines to maintain professionalism, the digital era presents new challenges that require adjustments in ethical practices. In conclusion, to maintain the integrity of the legal profession and public trust in the legal system, lawyers must uphold ethical principles, adapt to technological developments, and ensure consistent application of the code of ethics

The integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly ChatGPT, into legal practice is reshaping how legal services are delivered, researched, and consumed. While these technologies offer new efficiencies, they also raise profound ethical and legal challenges that the profession is only beginning to confront. This article critically examines the implications of ChatGPT’s use within the legal field, focusing on issues such as unauthorised practice of law, algorithmic bias, data privacy, and professional responsibility. Drawing on emerging regulatory responses in the United Kingdom, European Union, and the United States, it explores the extent to which existing legal frameworks can accommodate the unique risks posed by AI. The discussion also considers the evolving role of legal practitioners and educators in ensuring that technological advancement does not undermine core principles of justice, accountability, and public trust. In doing so, the article calls for a recalibration of legal ethics and governance to meet the demands of a rapidly digitising profession.

A relationship of a human being towards nature and its surroundings created by human labour has become a subject of separate legal regulation and separate legal studies only in the past few decades. Previously, this topic was investigated only sporadically and fragmentarily, within the traditional branches of law. The concept of integral legal protection started being conceived in the 1970s. It opened up a way towards a new, integrative and synthetic branch of law, which has changed its name and content over past few decades. In recent times, this new branch has been most commonly called Environmental law. It, basically, encompasses two groups of questions: those pertaining to the rights and duties which a human being may have in relation to the protected goods in his environment, and those pertaining to the legal protection of these assets. This article briefly discusses the prehistory of Environmental law, directions of its development over the past half a century, its features at the current level of development, as well as the projections of its future development in the near and a more distant future. Comparative studies reveal that court practice has had a key role in the emergence of this new branch of law, not only those in the Anglo-American legal system but also those in the European-continental law. Through their practice, the courts have modified some existing legal institutes and concurrently created some new institutes, aimed at the protection of human environment. Legislative authorities have been less inventive and insufficiently efficient in that respect. Statutory regulation is underdeveloped, frequently lagging behind social changes. The contemporary legal science encounters similar problems, particularly in terms of numerous terminological, conceptional and substantive contraditions and inconsistencies on the legal nature and functions of environmental law. Obviously, there is a stressed need for harmonizing legal terminology, both at the national and the international level. Moreover, the terminology used by legal professionals has to be attuned with the terminology used by other professions. This is especially important given the fact that the future will be marked by the development of the so-called advanced (interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary) studies which should enable bringing together of knowledge of different scientific fields and more efficient reaction in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. Legal doctrine and legal practice cannot be developed in isolation, independently from other branches of science. It is essential to determine their positions within wider contexts established for the purpose of (re)integrating the existing fragmented sciences and enabling joint action in this field. Law should contribute to instituting changes in the societal flows which jeopardize protected goods in the human environment, whereas it concurrently has to undergo a vigorous transformation itself. The article provides an overview of directions in which these changes ensue.

AI helps automate routine tasks, detect fraudulent activities, and provides valuable insights for risk assessment in the banking industry. Meanwhile, in the health sector, AI helps in early disease detection, treatment planning, and telemedicine, thereby facilitating health services. The approach method in this research is to use a normative juridical approach, namely a process for finding legal rules, legal principles and legal doctrines in order to answer the legal issues being faced. Data sources are obtained from statutory regulations, journals, papers, and others. The research results show that AI as a tool or device in law enforcement is more appropriate for assisting law enforcement regarding administrative techniques, prevention efforts, and finding perpetrators of criminal acts. AI cannot replace determining justice or policy, because AI does not have feelings, intention and conscience. In facing an era of rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology, the legal challenges that arise require a wise and holistic response.

The legal profession in Indonesia plays a crucial role in maintaining justice and upholding the law. Advocates are required to uphold integrity, honesty, and responsibility through adherence to a professional code of ethics. This study aims to analyze the role of the advocate code of ethics in maintaining professional integrity and ensuring legal justice. The research method used is a normative juridical approach, with a literature analysis of various regulations, codes of ethics, and previous research findings. The results indicate that the code of ethics serves as a guideline for behavior, a supervisory instrument, and a means of maintaining public trust in the legal profession. The discussion confirms the positive impact of implementing the code of ethics on public trust, although its implementation still faces obstacles such as a weak Honorary Council, limited enforcement, and fragmentation of advocate organizations. Strengthening efforts are carried out through ethics-based legal education, ongoing development, institutional reform, and public involvement.

The use of natural resources and the policy environment surrounding this use are informed by concepts derived from economic theory, extant technology, past uses, common law, statutory regulations, and descriptive ethics influenced by past and present social mores. As such, the uses of natural resources tend to reflect where society has been rather than where it is going. This is especially the case if we consider that existing laws and regulations controlling the allocation and utilisation of natural resources such as land, air, surface water, and groundwater are largely based on utilitarianism reflecting a worldview dating back to Greek antiquity. Given that utilitarianism and a worldview in which nature is perceived as immutable have become part of our legal foundation, technological changes now present ethical and economic problems that threaten part of this foundation. Within a market economy such as that of the United States, the legal environment regulating decisions regarding the use of natural resources contains contradictions that adversely affect the efficiency of allocative decision making. On the one hand, users of resources are urged to find the highest and best use of the resources and are supported by case law and legal precedent, while on the other, statutes based on alternative ethics increasingly prohibit certain uses of natural resources. Additionally, recent legislation, for example, the 1985 Food Security Act, is changing entitlement rules. Concurrently, legal doctrines such as public trust are challenging assumed private property rights. In this article I describe some of these ethical and economic problems while relating them to existing and emerging natural resources law and litigation. While doing so, I review the critical works of Jonas and Rawls. As opposed to utilitarians justifying their actions based on the intrinsic goodness or badness of the end(s) resulting from the action, Jonas and Rawls are ethical formalists seeking rules of right conduct that everyone performs as a matter of principle; see Taylor. In addition, I review the Public Trust Doctrine, and the manipulation of entitlement rules, as “tools” being used to address issues of environmental quality and resource utilisation. For example, see Calabresi and Melamed and Bromley.

The digital transformation in modern libraries employs Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance scientific literacy. However, the implementation of AI presents various legal and ethical challenges that must be addressed to ensure its responsible and fair use. This study utilizes a narrative literature review method, analyzing and synthesizing various relevant sources. This method is flexible, covering diverse types of literature, and is useful for developing theoretical or conceptual models. Regulations for AI in Indonesia are still incomplete, although some aspects are regulated by existing laws. Key challenges include privacy, bias, discrimination, and AI regulation. Ethical principles such as transparency, honesty, and accountability are crucial in AI utilization. Ethical guidelines and regulations must be implemented to ensure fairness and accountability. Librarians play a vital role in enhancing users' scientific literacy through training and digital resource curation. AI implementation can improve library service efficiency and quality but also requires careful attention to ethical and privacy issues. AI holds significant potential for enhancing scientific literacy and operational efficiency in libraries, but the existing legal and ethical challenges must be addressed seriously. More specific regulations and clear ethical guidelines are essential to ensure the safe and responsible application of AI. The application of AI in libraries can significantly enhance scientific literacy and service efficiency, but stricter regulations and the implementation of ethical guidelines are needed to address the existing legal and ethical challenges. This study provides guidance for libraries in adopting AI technology safely and ethically.

Commercial surrogacy, as a method of assisted reproductive technology, raises profound ethical and legal challenges, exacerbated in developing countries due to economic disparities and the absence of comprehensive regulations. The purpose of this study is to examine the ethical, legal, and social challenges arising from a real case of international commercial surrogacy in Iran. This article analyzes a real-life case in Iran involving a surrogate mother who, at 32 wk pregnant with twins, underwent an emergency cesarean section due to severe vaginal bleeding. The case raised significant concerns due to the absence of the American genetic parents at the time of birth, delays in issuing birth certificates, the temporary transfer of the newborns to welfare services, and the erasure of the surrogate mother's identity from legal documents. These issues spotlight questions regarding autonomy, exploitation, discrimination, and children's rights. Focusing on the ethical dimensions specific to this case in Iran, the study examines the broader challenges of surrogacy. The analysis reveals the impact of economic pressures on the surrogate's autonomy, discriminatory practices in recording the surrogate's identity in international cases, the lack of mechanisms to verify the eligibility of commissioning couples, and the urgent need for comprehensive legal and ethical frameworks to mitigate harm and ensure justice. The case positions Iran as an emerging destination for commercial surrogacy, highlighting the potential for exploitation due to the commercialization and erasure of surrogate mothers' identities. It is recommended that until precise regulations are enacted through public discourse and stakeholder participation, all commercial surrogacy, particularly international cases, be suspended.

This study aims to explore and analyze the ethical and legal challenges posed by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital businesses, highlighting the need for robust guidelines and frameworks to guide responsible AI implementation. Adopting a qualitative research approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 experts from diverse fields related to digital businesses and AI. The content analysis method was employed to identify main themes, categories, and concepts within the ethical and legal realms of AI usage. Two main themes emerged: ethical challenges and legal challenges. Ethical challenges encompassed categories such as privacy violations, discriminatory practices, and AI accountability. Legal challenges included intellectual property rights, data regulations, and surveillance and control issues. The analysis revealed a complex landscape of ethical dilemmas and legal uncertainties that digital businesses face when implementing AI technologies. The study concludes that navigating the ethical and legal challenges of AI in digital businesses requires a multi-faceted approach, emphasizing the importance of developing comprehensive ethical guidelines and legal frameworks. These measures should ensure AI technologies are used in ways that respect human rights and promote fairness and transparency in the digital economy.

Reviewed by: The End of Cool Japan: Ethical, Legal, and Cultural Challenges to Japanese Popular Culture ed. by Mark McLelland Björn-Ole Kamm (bio) The End of Cool Japan: Ethical, Legal, and Cultural Challenges to Japanese Popular Culture. Edited by Mark McLelland. Routledge, London, 2017. xvi. 224 pages. $165.00, cloth; $49.95, paper; $49.95, E-book. At the end of Boys Love Manga and Beyond,1 a previous collection edited jointly by Mark McLelland, he documents the rise of censorship of drawn images from Japan. These legal and ethical challenges take center stage in [End Page 129] The End of Cool Japan, with a focus on the repercussions for research and teaching about manga, anime, and video games. This new edited volume critically appraises the country marketing campaign "Cool Japan," which has sought to bolster "soft power" and manage Japan's image in the world. Often critiqued within and outside Japan for its ineffectiveness and awkward lumping together of anime and tea ceremony as "cool," the campaign took off in the early 2000s, when government officials became aware of the economic success of so-called Japanese popular culture abroad. As the book title portends, one underlying theme of the present volume deals with encroaching "uncool" elements trespassing on officially sanctioned ideas of coolness. Among the most salient uncool elements discussed throughout the collection are accusations by journalists in the West that Japan was the "Empire of Child Pornography," because its legislation in this area came late and excluded fictional minors. In his introduction and based on personal encounters with journalists, McLelland argues that Japan continuously functions as a weird "other" while also being simultaneously ensnared in such accusations on behalf of nonexisting persons, namely, cartoon characters. The following nine chapters explore the complex and contentious duality of "cool" nationalism and "uncool" criminalization, and the contributors trace issues of consumption, research, and education dealing with sexual depictions in Japanese media. The first six chapters share the very personal and often confessional tone of the introduction in how they deal with experiences of researchers in Anglophone countries. The last three chapters engage the challenges that fans of Japanese popular media face in Asia. Alisa Freedman opens with a reflection on how U.S. student perceptions of Japan have changed from that of a feared and revered economic superpower in the 1980s to the manga and anime heaven imagined today. Taking the globally successful horror-thriller Death Note2 as her example, she argues that Internet technologies and the many fan practices they enable (unlicensed translations, derivative fan works) ironically spell the end for the very thing Japanese cultural administrators and corporations desire, that is, control over what is cool. She offers readers a broad overview of how fans outside Japan creatively make a text their own, often ignorant of the legal issues involved and unaware of how they are transmitting a certain image of Japan. Raising awareness about the role of fans in such globalizing processes plays a part in Freedman's teaching, in which students explore social issues through their own media adaptations. The wide survey of issues captured in this chapter builds a solid ground for the essays to follow. However, on several occasions, one wishes Freedman had spelled out the [End Page 130] implications a bit clearer (e.g., what insights a student gained about gender assumptions in Japan by adapting Death Note as "Love Note" with a female, instead of a male, lead). Laura Miller continues with questions of how to engage with stakeholders of Japan's image abroad. She problematizes students who come to Japan studies as avid fans but are unwilling to examine critically the texts they love. Her stance as an anthropologist is not to teach about popular culture but rather to harness manga and anime to tackle gender representations or sexuality in Japanese society. Here, she also discusses opposition encountered outside the classroom in the form of "cultural gatekeepers" (self-proposed "normal" Japanese) who accuse her of painting an incorrect picture of Japan through research of "trivial" matters or sexual "deviance." The latter, which is perhaps best exemplified by the so-called BL genre ("boys' love" stories about male-male relationships...

Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that this research aims to analyze the function of the People's Representative Council's right to inquiry in influencing the results of the 2024 general election. In line with the characteristics and color of sentences that researchers use in this article, this research is qualitative research with a normative/normative approach. approach to regulations and laws relating to the era of the right to inquiry, the history of the right to inquiry, the scope of the right to inquiry, the object of the right to inquiry, and the influence of the right to inquiry on the results of the 2024 Presidential and Vice Presidential general elections. In line with qualitative research with other descriptive approaches, research This uses secondary data in the form of statutory regulations relating to the right to inquiry, legal books, scientific articles, and various other secondary legal sources which are usually used as references in qualitative research with a normative approach. These data were analyzed using the method of grammatical legal interpretation, namely interpreting word for word in statutory regulations, legal doctrine and scientific articles. As well as a systematic legal interpretation method in accordance with the hierarchy of laws and regulations.

This abstract discusses the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in judicial decision-making, highlighting both its potential benefits and significant legal and ethical challenges. Using normative and doctrinal legal analysis along with recent case studies, the study identifies key risks such as algorithmic bias, lack of transparency, and reduced judicial discretion. It emphasizes that these issues threaten fundamental legal principles and public trust. The study recommends a human-centered legal framework with transparency, procedural safeguards, and ethical oversight to ensure that AI supports rather than undermines justice.

The article examines current issues of access to the Bar in Ukraine as a key element in the formation of high-quality human resources for the legal profession, which directly affects the effectiveness of the protection of human rights and freedoms in the context of the development of the rule of law and European integration. The study analyses the current state of the procedure for acquiring the status of a lawyer and identifies systemic shortcomings, such as the lack of moral and ethical requirements for candidates, the imperfect organisation and technical obsolescence of the qualification exam, and the formal nature of the internship, which hinder transparency, objectivity and compliance of the procedure for access to the Bar with European standards. Despite some progress in judicial reforms, the procedure for access to the Bar is characterised by vulnerability to corruption risks and a decline in the quality of legal aid. The article separately examines strategic public policy documents, namely strategies for the development of the justice system, which noted problems with the functional capacity of the bar, and analyses shadow reports, the report of the International Commission of Jurists and the conclusions of the European Commission for 2023–2024, which note the lack of progress in reform, the inconsistency of legislation with European standards, corruption risks in admission to the Bar, and the need for transparent transformation of the bodies of the National Bar Association of Ukraine. Based on the results of the study, the following directions for reforming the current procedure for accessing the legal profession have been substantiated: introduction of integrity criteria for persons seeking to obtain the right to practise law, reform of the examination through digitalisation and anonymous testing, rethinking of internships as a full-fledged stage of training with an extension of the duration and assessment of the competencies of future lawyers. These changes will ensure a balance between the independence and openness of the legal profession, improve the quality of legal aid, public trust and compliance with EU standards, thereby promoting Ukraine’s European integration.

The legal profession in Indonesia carries significant responsibility in upholding justice, particularly through adherence to the Indonesian Advocates Code of Ethics (KEAI). However, violations of this code, such as bribery involving lawyers, often undermine the integrity of the judicial system. This study examines how ethical breaches, particularly in bribery cases, occur and their impact on the legal profession and public trust in the judiciary. Using a normative juridical method, the study focuses on analyzing legal norms that regulate lawyers' conduct, including relevant legislation. Cases such as those involving lawyers Lucas and Fredrich Yunadi highlight how these violations influence court decisions and undermine the principles of justice. The findings reveal that factors such as client pressure and weak oversight from professional organizations contribute to bribery violations. This practice not only damages public trust in the legal profession but also threatens the integrity of the judicial system, which is expected to operate fairly and transparently. Therefore, comprehensive efforts are required to prevent ethical violations, including strengthening oversight, enforcing strict sanctions, and enhancing ethics education for future lawyers.

Corruption is recognized as an extraordinary crime due to its systemic and destructive impact on state finances, governance, and public trust. This study aims to examine the essence of granting or revoking remission rights for corruption convicts within the Indonesian positive legal system and to analyze how such policies reflect the balance between prisoners’ rights and public interests. This research employs a normative juridical approach by analyzing statutory regulations, legal doctrines, and relevant legal principles related to remission and corruption crimes. The findings indicate that remission, as regulated under Law Number 22 of 2022 concerning Corrections, is normatively recognized as a right of prisoners conditioned upon good behavior and participation in rehabilitation programs. However, for corruption convicts, remission is not an absolute right but a conditional privilege due to the extraordinary nature of corruption crimes, which require stricter legal treatment. Additional requirements, including cooperation with law enforcement authorities and full payment of fines and compensation, demonstrate the conditional nature of remission policies for corruption offenders. Furthermore, remission revocation may occur when convicts fail to meet legal and administrative requirements, thereby reinforcing accountability within the correctional system. The study concludes that remission policies for corruption convicts must be implemented selectively, transparently, and accountably to maintain deterrence, ensure substantive justice, and uphold legal certainty. Strengthening regulatory frameworks and ensuring consistent implementation are essential to achieving a balanced correctional policy that aligns with anti-corruption objectives and public expectations.