Legal Pluralism in Practice: Reconciling Gala Customary Disputes with Principles of Justice in Indonesia’s National Law
Keywords:
Gala, Agrarian Conflict, Customary Law, Legal PluralismAbstract
The persistence of gala (land pawn) practices in Aceh illustrates the resilience of customary law in regulating intergenerational land use, but it also generates potential agrarian conflicts due to the absence of clear normative formulation in Indonesia’s positive legal framework. This research aims to formulate a normative model for resolving gala conflicts that ensures justice and consistency with national legal principles. Using a qualitative juridical-normative approach supported by field interviews and document analysis, the study highlights that although most gala disputes are resolved amicably at the community level, unresolved cases often expose the tension between adat legitimacy, economic vulnerability, and the requirement of legal certainty. The findings reveal that integrating the principles of justice (keadilan), legal certainty (kepastian hukum), and legal benefit (kemanfaatan hukum) into a formalized dispute resolution mechanism is crucial to harmonize adat practices with the national legal order. This normative formulation not only affirms the recognition of customary law as guaranteed under Article 18B of the 1945 Constitution and the Basic Agrarian Law (Law No. 5/1960), but also provides legal safeguards against potential abuse and intergenerational disputes. By situating gala within Indonesia’s agrarian law framework, the study contributes to strengthening a plural yet integrated legal system that accommodates local wisdom while upholding the principles of justice and equality before the law.
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