The Legal Status of Customary Law in Land Dispute Resolution in Indonesia
Main Article Content
Abstract
Customary law plays an important role in resolving land disputes and protecting communal land rights in Indonesia. Its application nevertheless faces tensions between ancestral tenure and formal land administration, limited evidence of ownership, and inadequate protection of customary law communities’ rights. This study examined the position of customary law within the national legal system, the role of communal rights in customary land tenure, and the application of customary dispute resolution mechanisms. Normative legal research was conducted using statutory and case approaches. The legal materials examined included the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, Law Number 5 of 1960 on Basic Agrarian Principles, Constitutional Court Decision Number 35/PUU-X/2012, and regulations governing the administration and registration of communal land rights. The findings indicate that customary law is recognized within the national legal system, although its application remains subject to applicable legal requirements. Customary deliberation can provide an alternative mechanism for achieving peaceful settlements and preserving social relationships, provided that legal certainty and the parties’ rights are safeguarded. The study concludes that equitable land dispute resolution requires stronger recognition and administration of communal land rights, together with closer coordination between customary mechanisms and national law. These priorities have implications for protecting customary law communities and ensuring legal certainty in the resolution of customary land disputes.
Citation Metrics:
Downloads
Citation Metrics & Similar Scopus Articles
-
Paul Shourov K. (2027)Critical review of tools and techniques for predicting microplastics pollution in watershed runoffEnvironmental Pollution and Management, 4, 27-47
-
Sajal M.A. (2027)Assessing salinity intrusion risk from coastal flooding through a spatial multi-criteria approach in Satkhira district of BangladeshEnvironmental Pollution and Management, 4, 48-70
-
Chandran S. (2027)The impact of environmental, economic, and social sustainability under intensive agricultureGlobal Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 13(1), 163-188
Article Details
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
References
Amiruddin, & Asikin, Z. (2016). Pengantar Metode Penelitian Hukum. Rajawali Pers.
Arrasid, S. E. (2021). Eksistensi Hak Ulayat Masyarakat Adat dalam Undang-Undang Pokok Agraria. Ikatan Penulis Mahasiswa Hukum Indonesia Law Journal, 1(1), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.15294/ipmhi.v1i1.49861
Bayo, R., Wijaya, A. U., & Hadi, F. (2023). Pengakuan Masyarakat Adat dalam Peraturan Perundang-Undangan di Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmu Hukum Wijaya Putra, 1(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.38156/jihwp.v1i1.87
Diksy, K. P., & Raynee, R. R. (2026). Kedudukan Hukum Adat di Tengah Dominasi Hukum Nasional dalam Perspektif Pluralisme Hukum di Indonesia. Jurnal Riksa Cendikia Nusantara, 2(9), 19–27. https://ejournal.lembagarisetmandirinusantara.or.id/index.php/jrcn/article/view/198
Evitasari, S., Syafira, A., & Saleh, R. D. D. (2024). Pendaftaran Tanah Masyarakat Adat Toraja. Widya Bhumi, 4(1), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.31292/wb.v4i1.54
Fajar, P. P. P., Aloysius, S., & Dinata, H. K. (2024). Implikasi Putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi Nomor 35/PUU-X/2012 terhadap Pengaturan Hutan Adat dan Dampaknya terhadap Hak Masyarakat Adat. Perkara: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum dan Politik, 2(2), 39–61. https://doi.org/10.51903/perkara.v2i2.1844
Hamid, A. R., & Suryana, A. (2024). Dinamika Konversi Hak atas Tanah Ulayat (Studi Kasus Tanah Ulayat di Bali): Dynamics of conversion of customary land rights (case study of customary land in Bali). Jurnal Kolaboratif Sains, 7(12), 4739–4750. https://jurnal.unismuhpalu.ac.id/index.php/JKS/article/view/6527
Handayani, L. E. (2026). Penegakan Hukum Pidana terhadap Penyalahgunaan Wewenang dalam Administrasi Publik: Kajian Normatif atas Jaminan HAM Aparatur Sipil Negara. Jurnal STIA Bengkulu: Committe to Administration for Education Quality, 12(1), 17–26. https://jurnal.stiabengkulu.ac.id/index.php/jsb/article/view/309
Hastarini, A., & Luthfan, G. F. F. (2022). Kedudukan Hukum Masyarakat Adat dalam Memperoleh Hak atas Tanah di Indonesia. Jurnal Hukum Sasana, 8(2), 243–264. https://doi.org/10.31599/sasana.v8i2.1272
Islam, M. H., & Sulastri, D. (2026). Pluralisme Hukum dan Konflik Normatif: Analisis Sosiologis Penyelesaian Sengketa Tanah Adat versus Hukum Agraria Nasional. Jurnal Penelitian Ilmiah Multidisipliner, 2(4), 1453–1462. https://ojs.ruangpublikasi.com/index.php/jpim/article/view/1462
Kurniawan, A., Triana, N., Sari, M., Hasibuan, N. L., & Ramadhona, A. (2024). Hukum Adat dan Nilai Restoratif: Kontekstualisasi Penyelesaian Konflik Sumbang Adat di Jambi. Masalah-Masalah Hukum, 53(2), 111–122. https://doi.org/10.14710/mmh.53.2.2024.111-122
Laturette, A. I. (2016). Penyelesaian Sengketa Hak atas Tanah Masyarakat Hukum Adat. SASI, 22(2), 52–66. https://doi.org/10.47268/sasi.v22i2.168
Marzuki, P. M. (2017). Penelitian Hukum (Edisi revisi). Kencana.
Muhaimin. (2020). Metode Penelitian Hukum. Mataram University Press.
Rafie, M. A., & Happier, W. C. (2024). Sejarah Perkembangan Hukum Agraria di Indonesia Sebelum Dibentuknya Undang-Undang No. 5 Tahun 1960 tentang Peraturan Dasar Pokok-Pokok Agraria (UUPA) dan Dampaknya bagi Keadilan di Masyarakat. Journal Sains Student Research, 2(5), 340–350. https://ejurnal.kampusakademik.co.id/index.php/jssr/article/view/2677
Ramansyah, R. Z., & Kontesa, E. (2026). Rekonstruksi Perlindungan Tanah Ulayat Pasca Putusan Mahkamah Konstitusi Nomor 64/PUU-XXIV/2026: Model Pendaftaran Tanah Berbasis Rekognisi Hak Masyarakat Hukum Adat. SEIKAT: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial, Politik dan Hukum, 5(5), 3414–3429. https://ejournal.45mataram.ac.id/index.php/seikat/article/view/4113
Ramli, D. H., Nobatonis, O. J., & Pello, H. F. (2024). Faktor Penyebab dan Mekanisme Penyelesaian Sengketa Tanah Warisan (Studi Kasus: Kampung Ulayat Mbehal Menjerite, Kecamatan Boleng, Kabupaten Manggarai Barat). Jurnal Hukum, Politik dan Ilmu Sosial, 3(4), 205–221. https://doi.org/10.55606/jhpis.v3i4.4441
Sari, I. (2017). Hak-Hak atas Tanah dalam Sistem Hukum Pertanahan di Indonesia Menurut Undang-Undang Pokok Agraria (UUPA). Jurnal Mitra Manajemen, 9(1), 15–33. https://journal.universitassuryadarma.ac.id/index.php/jmm/article/view/492
Sari, R. A. D. P. (2023). Perlindungan dan Kesejahteraan Masyarakat Adat dalam Memenuhi Hak-Haknya Berdasarkan Pasal 18B UUD 1945. Jurnal Hukum dan HAM Wara Sains, 2(11), 1006–1016. https://doi.org/10.58812/jhhws.v2i11.730
Shebubakar, A. N., & Raniah, M. R. (2019). Hukum Tanah Adat/Ulayat. Jurnal Magister Ilmu Hukum: Hukum dan Kesejahteraan, 4(1), 14–22. https://doi.org/10.36722/jmih.v4i1.758
Simarmata, R. (2021). The states position regarding registration of customary land (Orientasi Negara dalam Pendaftaran Tanah Adat di Indonesia). The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies, 1(1), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.54828/ijsls.2021v1n1.3
Siregar, M. S., Sukti, S., & Ihsan, R. N. (2026). Peran Lembaga Adat Dayak dalam Penyelesaian Tindak Asusila Perspektif Hukum Nasional. Jurnal USM Law Review, 9(2), 757–770. https://doi.org/10.26623/julr.v9i2.13989
Soetijono, I. K., Ranie, N. A., & Rato, D. (2025). Pengakuan Konstitusional Hak Masyarakat Adat atas Sumber Daya Alam di Indonesia. KUNKUN: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2(1), 75–93. https://ejournal.mediakunkun.com/index.php/kunkun/article/view/259
Sumaya, P. S. (2025). Konflik antara Hukum Adat dan Hukum Negara: Tantangan Penegakan Keadilan dalam Masyarakat Adat. MANIFESTO: Jurnal Gagasan Komunikasi, Politik, dan Budaya, 3(2), 1–12. https://journal.awatarapublisher.com/index.php/manifesto/article/view/308
Tambunan, S. A. E., Tarigan, G. A. M., & Manurung, A. D. B.-H. (2025). Hak Ulayat versus Hak Milik: Dinamika, Konflik, dan Resolusi. Neoclassical Legal Review: Journal of Law and Contemporary Issues, 4(1), 28–35. https://idjpcr.usu.ac.id/nlr/article/view/20611
Tandori, & Supriyanto, V. H. (2025). Kontradiksi Hak Komunal dan Hak Ulayat dalam Hukum Pertanahan Indonesia: Tinjauan Yurisprudensi dan Regulasi Indonesia. Tunas Agraria, 8(3), 380–400. https://doi.org/10.31292/jta.v8i3.483
Wangi, N. K. P. S. S., Dantes, K. F., & Sudiatmaka, K. (2023). Analisis Yuridis Hak Ulayat terhadap Kepemilikan Tanah Adat Berdasarkan Undang-Undang Nomor 5 Tahun 1960 tentang Peraturan Dasar Pokok-Pokok Agraria. Jurnal Ilmu Hukum Sui Generis, 3(3), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.23887/jih.v3i3.2606
Warman, K., & Andora, H. (2014). Pola Hubungan Hukum dalam Pemanfaatan Tanah Ulayat di Sumatera Barat. Mimbar Hukum, 26(3), 366–381. https://doi.org/10.22146/jmh.16031
Article Sidebar
Page Numbers:
9451-9462
Digital Object ID:
Viewed: 75 times
Downloaded: 18 times
LYAS Publisher cordially invites qualified professionals to serve as Editors or Reviewers. Your expertise will make an important contribution to maintaining and strengthening the academic quality of our publications. Interested applicants are kindly requested to complete the application form at the following link: Editors & Reviewers
Please feel free to contact us if you need any further information about the submission process or if you have any additional questions.
Authors:
Copyright :Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication.
Explore Our Journals
Find the journal that best fits your research. If this journal does not match your manuscript’s scope, explore our portfolio below to select a more suitable publication venue.