(20/5/2023) | Being active in organizations and conferences and winning various competitions did not dampen Raymond Jonathan’s enthusiasm for pursuing academics in lectures. He became the 2nd Valedictorian Undergraduate Program for the June 2023 Graduation Period at the Faculty of Law, 51动漫 (FH UNAIR). With a GPA of 3.92, he still consistently excels in non-academic fields.
Raymond, the President of the semi-autonomous International Law Students’ Association (ILSA) Chapter UNAIR for the 2021-2022 period, is interested in international law and governmental law. He even wrote a thesis that linked his two interests. His thesis is entitled “Constitutional Preview as the Authority of the Constitutional Court in the Stages of Making International Agreements.”
“This thesis has been prepared based on the potential for international agreements that have been ratified by law to be tested in the Constitutional Court, which is called the constitutional review mechanism. I propose a constitutional preview construction to prevent national and international law inconsistencies. The constitutional preview mechanism was constructed in a comparative study of France, Hungary, Kazakhstan, and Poland. Apart from considering comparative aspects of constitutional law, the construction of a constitutional preview is also prepared by looking at conceptual and practical aspects related to the institution of the Constitutional Court and the nature of the law on the ratification of international treaties,” explained Raymond.
Raymond tries to find a link between constitutional and international law in Indonesian law. His thesis resulted in the conclusion that the Constitutional Court can only enter into the stages of making international agreements at internal stages or requiring prior approval. Meanwhile, to carry out a constitutional preview, changes are needed in the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, the Law on International Agreements, and the Law on the Constitutional Court.
According to Raymond, writing a thesis is the most exciting part of lectures. When his other friends consider a thesis an academic burden, he sees the thesis as an academic dedication. For him, a thesis is a way for students to dedicate all their knowledge and passion to work in scientific writing.
“During my studies, I always tried to find a link between constitutional law and international law, two subjects that are ‘avoided’ by students in general. At least in the UNAIR Faculty of Law, the two are rarely linked objects, even though they are both in the domain of public law. I am fortunate to be mentored by Dr. Rosa Ristawati, S.H., LL.M. as my thesis advisor. Mrs. Rosa’s expertise as a supervisor succeeded in producing a thesis that was not only complete but also a novelty. I am happy because I managed to finish the thesis in the sixth semester,” Raymond said.
After graduating from college, Raymond said he wanted to work at a corporate law or governmental affairs consulting firm. He also wants to continue his Masters and Doctoral studies abroad with a scholarship. His desire to continue his studies was supported by the Faculty of Law UNAIR, which he said encouraged students to develop. He feels that studying at FH UNAIR is a privilege because FH UNAIR has provided ample opportunities for its students to acquire both academically and non-academically. He chose FH UNAIR as the place to study for his undergraduate degree because FH UNAIR is one of Indonesia’s oldest and best legal education institutions.
Raymond hopes that in the future, FH UNAIR will become a leading legal education institution in Indonesia, Asia, and the world. According to him, it is necessary to improve the quality of management and research results and publication of study centers in FH UNAIR to achieve this.
“Hopefully, my knowledge can make FH UNAIR alma mater and Indonesia proud in the future and benefit the public,” he concluded.
