The Role of Pro Justitia Principles in Marriage Dispensation Decisions: An Analysis of Legal Certainty in Judicial Decision-Making
Abstract
Marriage dispensation remains one of the most debated issues in Islamic family law because it places legal certainty, child protection, and judicial discretion in a complex relationship. Although Law Number 16 of 2019 establishes a minimum marriage age, religious courts retain the authority to grant exceptions through marriage dispensation, resulting in varying judicial outcomes. This study aims to analyze the application of the pro justitia principle in marriage dispensation decisions and examine its implications for legal certainty within Islamic family law. The research employs a qualitative, normative-juridical approach, drawing on library research and documentary analysis of statutory regulations, court decisions, and relevant scholarly literature. Data were analyzed through qualitative descriptive-analytical techniques focusing on judicial reasoning patterns and interpretive differences. The findings reveal that pro justitia functions as a substantive interpretive framework guiding judges in balancing statutory requirements, child protection, social realities, and maslahah. Variations in judicial interpretation produce different outcomes despite similar factual circumstances, affecting the predictability of legal decisions. The study concludes that legal certainty depends not only on statutory norms but also on the coherence of judicial reasoning. This research contributes by integrating pro justitia, judicial discretion, legal certainty, and maslahah into a unified analytical framework for understanding marriage dispensation adjudication in Islamic family law.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Ait-Aoudia, B. M. (2025). Legal certainty in times of crises. Statute Law Review, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/slr/hmaf026
Antori, M., & Yazid, I. (2024). Resolving Marriage Dispensation Cases for Pregnant Women Due to Adultery as Urgent Grounds: An Analysis of Practices in the Simalungun Religious Court. Jurnal Ilmiah Mizani, 11(2), 300–313. https://doi.org/10.29300/mzn.v11i2.5117
Asmuni, A., & Adikara, R. N. (2024). Application of Very Urgent Criteria in The Marriage Dispensation Norms for the Protection of Children: Analysis of Jasser Auda’s Theory. Jurnal Hukum Islam, 22(1), 25–56. https://doi.org/10.28918/jhi_v22i1_2
Bimawan, H., & Lazzavietamsi, F. A. (2025). Contemporary Dynamics of Sharia Economic Law: DSN-MUI Fatwa No. 21/2001 in Takaful Dispute Rulings. MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review, 4(2), 868–898. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v4i1.10470
Brzeziński, B., & Franczak, A. (2024). In Search of a Strategy for the Interpretation of Tax Law by Courts. Krytyka Prawa, 16(4), 57–75. https://doi.org/10.7206/kp.2080-1084.720
Chandel, A., Yadav, M., & Hung, T. H. (2024). Social and Economic Consequences of Early Marriage on Women’s Education and Workforce Participation. In Social, Political, and Health Implications of Early Marriage (pp. 261–289). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3394-5.ch011
Dikuraisyin, B., & Fatwa, A. F. (2024). Economic Underpinnings of Early Marriage: The Tengka Tradition among the Madurese. Al-Ahwal, 17(1), 93–106. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2024.17106
Faizah, R., Susanti, D., & Sandy, F. (2026). Psychosocial determinants of early marriage among adolescents in Magelang Regency, Indonesia: A qualitative descriptive study. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 8(8). https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2026527
Fakihudin, R. (2023). Formulation of public policy based on islamic legal studies as a solution in the contemporary era. Contemporary Issues on Interfaith Law and Society, 2(2), 145–166. https://doi.org/10.15294/ciils.v2i2.68868
Fakihudin, R., Raharjanti, P., & Huda, M. W. S. (2022). Relevance of Religious Court Decisions Regarding Dispensation in Child Marriage. Indonesia Private Law Review, 3(1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.25041/iplr.v3i1.2567
Hakim, A., Zainuddin, M., Iqbal, M., Yusuf, M., & Hadana, E. S. (2025). Assessing Judges’ Considerations of Urgent Grounds in Marriage Dispensation Decisions: A Case Study of the Jantho Sharia Court, Aceh, Indonesia. El-Usrah, 8(2), 1000–1020. https://doi.org/10.22373/ujhk.v8i2.27101
Insani, N., Beddu, S., Rahman, R., Arpin, A., & Samuri, M. A. A. (2024). Judicial Considerations in Child Marriage Dispensations: An Empirical Study of the Gorontalo Religious Court. Jurnal Ilmiah Al-Syir’ah, 22(1), 41–52. https://doi.org/10.30984/jis.v22i1.2066
Ishom, M. (2023). The Loose Interpretation of Dominus Litis Principle in Marriage Dispensation for Underage Marriage in Banten. Ahkam: Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, 23(2), 329–350. https://doi.org/10.15408/ajis.v23i2.29881
Kurniawan, I. D., & Ezzerouali, S. (2024). Revisiting the Principle of Legal Certainty: A Contemporary Analysis through the Lens of Legal Positivism. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies, 3(2), 137–146. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17385496
Lahilote, H. S., Miftah, A. A., & Hidayati, R. (2022). Judge’s Dilemma In Marriage Dispensation In The Religious Court. Al-Risalah: Forum Kajian Hukum Dan Sosial Kemasyarakatan, 22(1), 52–60. https://doi.org/10.30631/alrisalah.v22i1.979
Maryam, H. W., Basri, R., & Haq, I. (2024). A Juridical Examination of Marriage Dispensation and Divorce in Religious Court; Insights from Sadd Al-Dzari’ah. Jurnal Al-Dustur, 7(2), 152–169. https://doi.org/10.30863/aldustur.v7i2.7183
Mustofa, K. N. (2023). Adjudicating Underage Marriages At Religious Courts A Progressive Collaboration Between Judiciary And Health Authority. Al-Ahwal, 16(2), 342–363. https://doi.org/10.14421/ahwal.2023.16208
Nagaraj, V. B., & Theboral, P. (2024). Got Hitched Too Soon; Life Experiences of Women in Early Marriage in India. Asian Journal of Human Services, 27, 85–99. https://doi.org/10.14391/ajhs.27.85
Ngidi, N. D., Bhana, D., & Dube, T. (2025). ‘Our options are limited, so we get married:’ girls, early marriage and health risks in rural Zimbabwe. Health, Risk and Society, 27(3–4), 182–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698575.2025.2492870
Nur, M. T., & Abdullah, M. F. (2022). Implications of the Determination of Marriage Dispensation on Divorce Case (Case Study at Sengkang Religious Court). International Journal of Law and Society, 1(3), 204–211. https://doi.org/10.59683/ijls.v1i3.18
Nurcholis, M., Nur, I., Holik, A., & Anshor, A. M. (2025). Best Interest of the Child (Ḥifẓ al-Awlād) Principle in Adjudicating Marriage Dispensation for Under-Age Couples. Al-Ihkam: Jurnal Hukum Dan Pranata Sosial, 20(2), 531–558. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v20i2.15927
Pino, G. (2023). Legal Certainty. Eunomia. Revista En Cultura de La Legalidad, 25, 262–284. https://doi.org/10.20318/EUNOMIA.2023.8000
Purwanti, A., & Natalis, A. (2026). Law as Text, Culture as Context: The Semiotics of Marriage Dispensation and Judicial Considerations in Indonesia. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law, 39(2), 729–760. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-025-10370-0
Rohman, T., Mahsus, M., Abduh, M., & Arnone, G. (2023). Preventing Violations of Religious and Social Norms: Judicial Interpretation of ‘Urgent Reasons’ in Marriage Dispensation at the Wonosari Religious Court, Indonesia. Journal of Islamic Law, 4(2), 218–236. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v4i2.1535
Rosyadi, I., & Asep, M. (2025). Rethinking Wali Adhal Proceedings: The Role Of Audi Et Alteram Partem In Advancing Procedural Fairness. Masalah-Masalah Hukum, 54(3), 296–313. https://doi.org/10.14710/mmh.54.3.2025.296-313
Sekarrini, L., Prasetyo, S., & Kusumayati, A. (2025). Child marriage dispensation from a reproductive health perspective: why do judges grant or reject applications? International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 37(6), 411–420. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2025-0108
Suriyati, S. (2022). Judges’ Legal Culture in Dealing with High Number of Applications for Child Marriage Dispensation during Covid-19 Pandemic at the Kudus Religious Court. Al-Ihkam: Jurnal Hukum Dan Pranata Sosial, 17(1), 136–161. https://doi.org/10.19105/AL-LHKAM.V17I1.6060
Uddin, E. (2024). Social, Political, and Health Implications of Early Marriage. In Social, Political, and Health Implications of Early Marriage. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3394-5
Yousif, M. (2026). Early Marriages in Lower-Middle-Income Countries: A Serious Threat to Maternal–Child Health and Socio-Economic Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development, 34(S1), 793–801. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70207
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33852/jurnalnu.v10i1.733
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2026 Siandi Siandi, Ahmad Habibi, Rinda Rinda
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
