Universitas Indonesia and Universiti Malaya Cross-border Street Law Programme: Challenges and Opportunities

Street Law refers to legal literacy programmes which aims to educate and empower the community about the law, legal processes and their rights and responsibilities through interactive methodologies. Through this programme, the students are able to deliver various topics on legal rights and responsibilities emphasizing the knowledge, skills and value of the learners and empowering them at the same time. Established in 1972 at Georgetown University, the programme has grown globally. Universiti Malaya and Universitas Indonesia have had a collaboration on the Street Law programme since 2017, focusing on urban children and women. This programme emphasizes experiential learning, enabling students to navigate cross-border legal frameworks, cultures and languages while addressing marginalized communities’ needs. Interactive teaching methods, such as role-play and puppet shows, have been instrumental. This article examines the programme’s implementation, activities, benefits, challenges and its role in enhancing legal education and community service over almost 10 years.