Legal Certainty for Unregistered Marriages in Indonesia: A Study of the Isbat Nikah Decision of the Palangkaraya Religious Court No. 339/Pdt.G/2024/PA.Plk

Authors

  • Syaima Desinta Maharani Universitas Islam Negeri Palangka Raya, Indonesia
  • Uswatun Hasanah Universitas Islam Negeri Palangka Raya, Indonesia
  • Fadli Amin Universitas Islam Negeri Palangka Raya, Indonesia
  • Aulia Mayada Universitas Islam Negeri Palangka Raya, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29240/berasan.v4i2.15178

Keywords:

Unregistered Marriage, Isbat Nikah, Religious Courts, Legal Certainty

Abstract

This study was conducted in response to the prevalence of unregistered marriages in Indonesia, which have serious implications for the rights of husbands, wives, and children, and hinder the population administration process. This article aims to analyze, from a legal-normative perspective, the practice of legalizing unregistered marriages through the mechanism of marriage validation in the Religious Court of Palangkaraya City. The main focus of this research is Decision Number 339/Pdt.G/2024/PA.Plk, with the aim of exploring in greater depth the legal considerations used by the judge in granting the marriage validation request. The research method used is normative legal research with a descriptive qualitative case study approach. The primary data in this study is Decision Number 339/Pdt.G/2024/PA.Plk, supplemented by interviews with the judge. Meanwhile, the secondary data consists of scientific literature related to the research theme. The data was collected through document studies and semi-structured interviews with the judge. The results of the study show that the marriage validation petition in decision No. 339/Pdt.G/2024/PA.Plk was driven by the need to obtain legal certainty regarding the status of the marriage, provide legal protection for the rights of the wife and children, and facilitate the fulfillment of administrative requirements such as processing BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (Social Security Administration Agency for Employment) claims and other population documents. The judge granted the marriage validation petition based on the fulfillment of the requirements and pillars of marriage according to Islamic law, the absence of marriage barriers, and convincing evidence. In conclusion, marriage validation at the Palangkaraya Religious Court not only serves as a formal legalization of unregistered marriages, but also as a strategic means to achieve justice and provide legal protection for people whose marriages are not officially registered, while affirming the state's existence in protecting the rights of its citizens, thereby ensuring legal certainty.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adriyeni, Adriyeni Adriyeni, Zikra Wahyuni, and Dahyul Daipon. “Philosophical Examination of the Itsbat Nikah (Marriage Legalization) in Sirri Polygamy Following the Issuance of Supreme Court Circular No. 3 of 2018.” HUMANISMA : Journal of Gender Studies 8, no. 1 (2024): 80–89. https://doi.org/10.30983/humanisma.v8i1.8266.

Afda’u, Faisal. “The Legal Protection for Children Outside Registered Marriage.” Uniska Law Review 5, no. 2 (2025): 154–72. https://doi.org/10.32503/ulr.v5i2.6971.

Arifin, Mochammad. “Tradition vs. Administration: Challenging the Cultural Barriers to Marriage Registration in Indonesia.” Sakina: Journal of Family Studies 9, no. 2 (2025): 213–25. https://doi.org/10.18860/jfs.v9i2.15343.

Cranmer, Frank. “Does an Unregistered Nikah Wedding Give Rise to a Valid Marriage, a Void Marriage or a Non-Marriage?” Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 41, no. 1 (2019): 96–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2019.1554796.

Fajri, Desmal, and Felti Novira. “The Phenomenon of Unregistered Marriages: Problems and Solution.” Kosmik Hukum 23, no. 2 (2023): 180–88. https://doi.org/10.30595/kosmikhukum.v23i2.18113.

Fajriyyah, Latifatul and Alfitri. “Hearsay Evidence Admissibility: Due Process and Evidentiary Rules in Muslim Marriage Legalization (Isbat Nikah).” SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 4237637. Social Science Research Network, October 4, 2022. https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=4237637.

Fauzi, Muhammad Latif. “Administrative Transgression and Judicial Discretion for The Sake of Citizens’ Rights: The Legalisation of Unregistered Marriages in Indonesia.” Al-Ahwal: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Islam 16, no. 2 (2023): 211–31. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2023.16202.

Febrianti, Lora, and Rahmat Hidayat. “Unregistered Marriage Practices and Their Consequences: A Case Study in Pesisir Selatan Regency.” Al Mashaadir : Jurnal Ilmu Syariah 5, no. 1 (2024). https://doi.org/10.52029/jis.v5i1.170.

Febrianty, Yenny, Sulastri, and Zulfiani. “Existence of Registered/Unregistered Marriage Clauses in Family Cards from a Family Law Perspective.” Pena Justisia: Media Komunikasi Dan Kajian 22, no. 1 (2023).

Hasan, Abi, Achmad Musyahid, and Asman Asman. “Dualism and Unworthy Legal Practice: The Marginalization of Women’s Rights in Sirri and Early Marriages.” Asy-Syir’ah: Jurnal Ilmu Syari’ah Dan Hukum 56, no. 1 (2022): 149–71. https://doi.org/10.14421/ajish.v56i1.1006.

Hayati, Syarifatul, and Emilza Tri Murni. “Phenomenology of Siri Marriage in Indonesia: An Analytical Study from a Legal Sociology Perspective.” Diniyyah Jurnal 10, no. 2 (2023): 53–66. https://doi.org/10.63061/cz4rfy36.

Hidayat, Hidayat, Budi Bahreisy, Riswan Munthe, and Muhaddis Muhaddis. “The Position of The Institution of Itsbat Nikah in The Marriage Law and The Compilation of Islamic Law.” Proceedings of Malikussaleh International Conference on Law, Legal Studies and Social Science (MICoLLS) 4 (December 2024): 00006–00006.

Hori, Muhammad, and Eliva Sukma Cipta. “The Purpose of Marriage in Islamic Philosophical Perspective.” Journal of Islamicate Studies 2, no. 1 (2019). https://doi.org/10.32506/jois.v2i1.505.

Husain, Husain, Muhammad Husni Abdulah Pakarti, Taqyuddin Kadir, Tajuddin Noor, and Edy Saputra. “Legal Discovery of Religious Court Judges in Marriage Itsbat Cases: An Effort to Reform Marriage Law in Indonesia.” Al-Qadha : Jurnal Hukum Islam Dan Perundang-Undangan 11, no. 2 (2024): 158–75. https://doi.org/10.32505/qadha.v11i2.8996.

Ismail, Rifki, and Agil Mustapa. “Juridical Analysis of Unregistered Marriages’ Effects on Children’s Legal Status and Civil Rights.” Estudiante Law Journal 7, no. 3 (2025): 758–71. https://doi.org/10.33756/eslaj.v7i3.32282.

Jamilah, Mega T. Puspita, Endang Dimyati, Tetep, and Prima Melati. “People’s Unawareness of the Importance of Marriage Certificate.” Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Business, Law And Pedagogy (Sidoarjo), 2019. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.13-2-2019.2286491.

Krestianto, Indra. “Optimization Of Marriage Registration To Realize Legal Certainty And Civil Rights Protection.” Jurnal Impresi Indonesia 4, no. 5 (2025): 1707–16. https://doi.org/10.58344/jii.v4i5.6534.

Latifani, Soraya Ulfa, Moh Ali, and Dominikus Rato. “The Existence of Marriage Agreement Registration In Legal Protection Perspective.” Acten Journal Law Review 1, no. 3 (2024): 188–202. https://doi.org/10.71087/ajlr.v1i3.15.

Latifiani, Dian. “The Consequences of an Unregistered Marriage for the Wife and Born Children According to the Legal System in Indonesia.” South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law 4, no. 3 (2014).

Maliki, Ibnu Akbar, and Lisna Mualifah. “Persepsi Pelaku Perceraian Terhadap Cerai Di Luar Pengadilan Agama.” El-Izdiwaj: Indonesian Journal of Civil and Islamic Family Law 3, no. 2 (2022). https://dx.doi.org/10.24042/el-izdiwaj.v3i2.14089.

Maliki, Ibnu Akbar, Abdul Qodir Zaelani, Muh Zaitun Ardi, and Shivi Mala Ghummiah. “A Gender-Based Maqashid Sharia Study of Penghulu in Indonesia (A Study of Jasser Auda’s Views).” Nurani: Jurnal Kajian Syari’ah Dan Masyarakat 23, no. 1 (2023). https://doi.org/10.19109/nurani.v23i1.16447.

Maloko, M. Tahir. “Unregistered Marriage in Islamic Law Perspective: A Critical Study of Islamic Law Compilation.” Al-Mawarid: Jurnal Hukum Islam, 2015, 49–68.

Ma’mun, Sukron, and Ibnu Akbar Maliki. “A Socio-Historical Study of Women’s Rights Advocacy in Islamic Legal Construction.” Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights 7, no. 1 (2023). https://doi.org/10.19184/jseahr.v7i1.39156.

Minan, Made Warka, and Hufron Hufron. “Legal Protection Children of Siri Marriage in Indonesia.” Technium Social Sciences Journal 36 (October 2022): 244–50. https://doi.org/10.47577/tssj.v36i1.7534.

Muhasim, Ahmad, Abdullah Abdullah, and Nuruddin. “Islamic Legal Perspective on Contentious Marriage Isbat in Giri Menang Religious Court.” Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Dan Ekonomi Islam 24, no. 2 (2025): 339–51. https://doi.org/10.20414/ijhi.v24i2.957.

Munasir, and Sa’dullah Assa’idi. “The Reconstruction of Marriage Law in Classic Fiqh Perspective: The Case of Unregistered Marriage in Indonesia.” International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research 12, no. 4 (2020): 4489. https://doi.org/10.31838/ijpr/2020.12.04.612.

Nisa, Eva F. “The Bureaucratization of Muslim Marriage in Indonesia.” Journal of Law and Religion 33, no. 2 (2018): 291–309. https://doi.org/10.1017/jlr.2018.28.

Nugraha, Iqbal Subhan, and Abdul Aziz. “The Reorientation of Marriage Registration in the Compilation of Islamic Law: Shifting from Administrative Formality to Legal Obligation.” AJIS: Academic Journal of Islamic Studies, November 5, 2025, 399–426. https://doi.org/10.29240/ajis.v10i2.12623.

Nurani, Sifa Mulya, Triana Apriyanita, and Rezki Baskoro. “Negotiating the Meaning of Marriage Registration in Indonesia’s Digital Space: A Challenge for Legal Literacy Management in Education.” Journal of Educational Management Research 5, no. 1 (2026): 576–91. https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v5i1.1710.

Rahmi, Nailur, Arifki Budia Warman, and Amri Effendi. “Building Legal Compliance: A Study on the Practice of Unregistered Marriages in Tanjung Raya Subdistrict, Agam Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia.” Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam 9, no. 1 (2025): 416–37. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v9i1.28306.

Ramadhani, Indriya, Nur Sulistiyaningsih, and Solikhah. “The Legal Status of Children in Unregistered Marriage Divorces:Problems and Challenges.” El-Izdiwaj: Indonesian Journal of Civil and Islamic Family Law 6, no. 1 (2025): 25–45. https://doi.org/10.24042/vccfbe74.

Downloads

Published

23-03-2026

Issue

Section

Articles

Citation Check