Interfaith and Inter-Customary Marriage: A Study of Legal Pluralism and Legal Certainty in Indonesia
Keywords:
Legal Pluralism, Legal Certainty, Interfaith Marriage, Inter-Customary Marriage, Marriage LawAbstract
Indonesia is a religiously and culturally plural nation where marriage law is governed by state legislation, religious law, and customary (adat) law. This legal pluralism generates tension with legal certainty, particularly in interfaith and inter-customary marriages. This article examines how legal pluralism shapes the regulation of such marriages in Indonesia and how it can be reconciled with legal certainty. Using a normative juridical method with statutory, conceptual, and case approaches, the study analyzes primary legal materials including Law No. 1/1974 as amended by Law No. 16/2019, the Compilation of Islamic Law, Constitutional Court Decisions No. 68/PUU-XII/2014 and No. 97/PUU-XIV/2016, and Supreme Court Circular Letter (SEMA) No. 2/2023 alongside secondary literature. The results reveal that Indonesian marriage law remains a layered system where national statutes, religious doctrines, and customary norms coexist and compete. Consequently, judicial decisions on registering interfaith marriages remain inconsistent. While intended to unify judicial practice, SEMA No. 2/2023 creates new normative conflicts with constitutional guarantees regarding legal certainty and family formation. The article concludes that legal certainty requires a calibrated harmonization strategy that respects diversity while offering clear, predictable, and rights-respecting procedural pathways for interfaith and inter-customary couples.
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