The enforcement of Islamic family law—commonly known as Ahwal Al-Syakhsiyah—in Indonesia faces a number of challenges and changes as times evolve. The Junior Chair of the Religious Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2017–2024 term, Prof. Dr. Drs. H. Amran Suadi, S.H., M.Hum., M.M., stated that the dynamics of Islamic family law can also vary from country to country depending on each country’s interpretation and application of Islamic law.
“The application differs between us and Malaysia. There, if a man wants to divorce his wife, he must have savings,” he explained at the UGM Faculty of Law Auditorium during a public lecture titled “Dynamics of Islamic Law Enforcement in Indonesia” on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
A number of updates to Islamic family law include revisions to the Compilation of Islamic Law, Supreme Court regulations and circulars, and court rulings.
The professor at UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya explained that the Supreme Court plays a crucial role in the process of updating Islamic family law.
The Supreme Court’s vital role in this reform is realized through its authority and functions—specifically through the rulings it issues, from trial courts to the Court of Cassation, as well as its regulatory functions via PERMA and SEMA instruments.
Updates to Islamic family law are also carried out through plenary sessions. Since the first session was held in 2012, many resolutions from the Religious Chamber’s plenary sessions have been enacted through SEMA. At least 25 major issues have been addressed through this plenary mechanism, 14 of which relate to the rights of women and children.
Some of these issues include child custody, marriage, annulment of marriage, itsbat nikah, divorce, divorce for civil servants and members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police (POLRI), iddah alimony, mut’ah, and madhiyah alimony, child recognition, and others. This demonstrates the Supreme Court’s role in responding to the evolving dynamics of enforcing Islamic family law in Indonesia.
The UGM Faculty of Law, through its Department of Islamic Law, continues to strive to provide excellent legal education and promote the sustainable development of legal scholarship. This effort is also aligned with the fourth indicator of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely quality education.
This public lecture serves not only as an educational platform but also as a means to foster collaboration and strengthen cooperation among institutions, particularly between the Department of Islamic Law and the Supreme Court, as well as its subordinate agencies. This aligns with SDG Goal 17: building partnerships to achieve concrete and better outcomes.
