Reformulating the Legal Obligation of Marriage Registration in Indonesia: Toward Legal Certainty and Protection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62568/jomn.v3i2.789Keywords:
Marriage Registration, Legal Reformulation, Legal Certainty, Legal ProtectionAbstract
Marriage registration in Indonesia functions as a legal instrument to ensure certainty, protection, and recognition of marital status, yet its implementation remains inconsistent due to structural, socio-cultural, and administrative challenges. This study examines the reformulation of the legal obligation of marriage registration through a socio-legal approach, integrating normative legal analysis with empirical observations to identify gaps between regulatory frameworks and societal practices. Findings indicate that limited access to services, low legal awareness, economic constraints, and strong reliance on religious validation contribute to the persistence of unregistered marriages, which in turn weaken legal protection, particularly for women and children. Institutional disparities, procedural complexity, and fragmented policies further reduce the effectiveness of the current system. Reformulation is directed toward strengthening accessibility, simplifying procedures, integrating digital systems, enhancing institutional coordination, and promoting public awareness, while maintaining alignment with socio-cultural values. The study emphasizes the importance of harmonizing legal norms with community practices and reinforcing collaboration between state institutions and religious authorities to improve compliance and legitimacy. A comprehensive and adaptive legal framework is necessary to ensure that marriage registration is both enforceable and socially accepted, ultimately supporting legal certainty, protecting fundamental rights, and fostering equitable implementation within the national legal system.
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