SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION BY RELIGIOUS COURT JUDGES: Views of Bantul Religious Court Judges on the Husband's Financial Capability Requirement for Polygamy

Abstract

The legal substance in the Government Regulation on Marriage Law Implementation, particularly on financial requirements for polygamy, allows the emergence of ambiguous interpretations for judges. Article 41, paragraph C, of that regulation, does not specify how judges should assess the financial strength of a husband who intends to engage in a polygamous marriage. Likewise, the Bantul Religious Court judges (the party that granted the most polygamy permits in Yogyakarta Province in 2021) have a different perspective on the requirements for financial ability in polygamy. In this context, this study examines how Bantul Religious Court judges deal with this legal ambiguity in their decisions. This study examines 14 polygamy verdicts. This research finds that the concept of financial ability in the polygamy case is the judge's way of measuring the justice of the husband. Justice primarily refers to the husband's capability to provide an adequate financial portion of the fair share to their wife (in the future). To know the husband's financial ability, judges apply a holistic approach that rests on a sociological lens.