Dissertation

Islamic courts and women's divorce rights in Indonesia: the cases of Cianjur and Bulukumba

This book presents the results of a research about the Islamic courts of Cianjur in West Java, and Bulukumba in South Sulawesi and the role they play in local divorce practices.

Author

Stijn Cornelis van Huis

Date

08 September 2015

Links

Leiden University Repository

It addresses questions which not only enhance our understanding of how Islamic courts in Indonesia work, but also of how Islamic courts through their everyday adjudication processes have the potential to transform societal norms based in national family law, Islamic law and customary law. What is the history of the Islamic courts in both districts and what are its consequences for their position in the local community? What role do the Islamic courts play in protecting women’s divorce rights? How do they perform with regard to spousal support, child support and marital property and why? How do the Islamic courts treat women’s and men’s claims? How has Indonesian family law for Muslims developed and what is the role of the Islamic courts in this development? How are Islamic courts positioned in Indonesia’s nation-building project? This book attempts to provide answers to those questions by exploring the Islamic courts’ institutional history in both districts, the development of the substantive law they apply, and the socio-cultural and economic aspects of divorce.