A Normative Juridical Analysis of the Dispute Settlement System for Pusako Tinggi Inheritance under Minangkabau Customary Law: Synchronizing the Authority of Kerapatan Adat Nagari and Formal Courts

Authors

  • Naufal Bagus Primadana Law Study Program, Faculty of Law, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional (UPN) “Veteran” Jawa Timur, Indonesia
  • Ravelina Destya Suroso Law Study Program, Faculty of Law, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional (UPN) “Veteran” Jawa Timur, Indonesia
  • Mai Ussy Sekarkedaton Law Study Program, Faculty of Law, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional (UPN) “Veteran” Jawa Timur, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37899/mjdpp.v3i2.384

Keywords:

Customary Inheritance Law, Indigenous Justice, Kerapatan Adat Nagari, Legal Pluralism, Minangkabau Customary Law, Pusako Tinggi

Abstract

This study examines the normative juridical framework governing the settlement of pusako tinggi inheritance disputes under Minangkabau customary law and its relationship with Indonesia's formal judicial system. The research aims to analyze the institutional authority of customary dispute resolution mechanisms and to evaluate their synchronization with state-based legal institutions within the framework of legal pluralism. A normative juridical approach was employed through library research using statutory regulations, judicial decisions, legal doctrines, and scholarly literature as primary sources of legal analysis. The findings indicate that inheritance disputes are resolved through a hierarchical customary mechanism involving family deliberation, mamak kepala waris, ninik mamak, and the Kerapatan Adat Nagari before judicial intervention becomes necessary. The study further demonstrates that customary institutions and formal courts perform complementary rather than competing functions, thereby enhancing both customary legitimacy and legal certainty. The proposed synchronized governance framework contributes to legal pluralism theory while offering practical guidance for strengthening institutional coordination and improving indigenous inheritance dispute resolution in Indonesia.

References

Alatrish, E., & Owolabi, L. Y. (2025). Beyond Legal Pluralism: Reframing the Dynamic Interaction between Shariah and State Law in Contemporary Muslim Societies. Journal of Contemporary Islamic Law and Studies, 1(1), 28-41. https://doi.org/10.47353/jcils.v1i1.369

Aldyan, A., Aldyan, R. A., Asmanda, K. A. P., & Alasttal, A. A. (2025). Legal pluralism in environmental management: evidence from Bali, Indonesia. Journal of Law, Environmental and Justice, 3(2), 229-267. https://doi.org/10.62264/jlej.v3i2.131

Arifin, F., Astawa, I. G. P., Maarif, I., Sulastri, D., & Abdullah, M. K. (2025). Recognition of Customary Norms Within the Framework of Indonesian Legal Positivism. Khazanah Hukum, 7(1), 92-104. https://doi.org/10.15575/kh.v7i1.39409

Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi Sumatera Barat. (2024). Provinsi Sumatera Barat dalam angka 2024. Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi Sumatera Barat. Retrieved from https://sumbar.bps.go.id/id/publication/2024/02/28/1b9d2796de6ef7fdcac6ae79/provinsi-sumatera-barat-dalam-angka-2024.html

Buana, A. P., & Mamonto, M. A. W. W. (2023). The Role of Customary Law in Natural Resource Management: A Comparative Study between Indonesia and Australia. Golden Ratio of Mapping Idea and Literature Format, 3(2), 167-186. https://doi.org/10.52970/grmilf.v3i2.400

Bunaiyya, F. L., Sulistiyono, A., & Nugroho, A. (2025, December). Reconstructing Industrial Dispute Resolution Based on Deliberation for Effective, Efficient, and Equitable Dispute Governance. In 3rd International Conference on Law, Economics & good Governance (ICLAW 2025) (pp. 513-528). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-519-5_41

Dharmawan, N. K. S., Samsithawrati, P., Kurniawan, I. G. A., & Amalia, R. (2024). Protecting Well-Known Marks Related to Territorial Principle: From Substantive Similarity to the Distinctiveness Theory. Journal Equity of Law and Governance, 6(2), 33-41. https://doi.org/10.22225/elg.6.2.10740.33-41

Elfia, Sari, S. M. R., Ikhwan, Bahar, M., & Shalihin, N. (2022). Patterns for settlement of punah inheritance disputes in the community of Nagari Salareh Aia from the perspective of Islamic law. AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 17(2), 480–505. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v17i2.6246

Fachrezzi, F. T. A. (2023). Mekanisme sistem penyelesaian sengketa waris hukum adat Minangkabau yang bereksistensi di Indonesia. Kultura: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, Sosial, dan Humaniora, 1(6), 102–109. https://doi.org/10.572349/kultura.v1i6.594

Fakhyadi, D., Samsudin, M. A., Dasrianto, V., Danil, M., & Wahyudi, A. A. (2025). Reconstructing gender relations for family resilience in Minangkabau: Integrating Islamic law and customary law. Al-Ahkam, 35(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.21580/ahkam.2025.35.1.22906

Faridha, E., Wiranata, I. G. A. B., & Rodliyah, N. (2024). Analysis of inheritance distribution among Minang community against high heritage and low heritage. Indonesia Private Law Review, 5(2), 79–88. https://doi.org/10.25041/iplr.v5i2.3463

Fithri, W., Wira, A., & Hadi, R. T. (2025). The philosophy of “habis adat karena mufakat”: Consensus of diversion of pusako tinggi in Minangkabau. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga dan Hukum Islam, 9(2), 1220–1241. https://doi.org/10.22373/6q2sa250

Ghosh, P., & Banerjee, S. (2024, June). Dynamics of Modernization and Environmental Governance: A Socio-Legal Study with Reference to Indigenous Communities. In NDIEAS-2024 International Symposium on New Dimensions and Ideas in Environmental Anthropology-2024 (NDIEAS 2024) (pp. 222-235). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-255-2_19

Ginting, V. A., Sembiring, R., & Maria. (2026). Perlindungan hukum terhadap harta pusaka tinggi Minangkabau dari perbuatan melawan hukum dalam pensertifikatan tanah: Studi Putusan Mahkamah Agung Nomor 219 K/Pdt/2025. Jurnal Hukum Lex Generalis, 6(9). https://doi.org/10.56370/jhlg.v6i9.2614

Hartatik, E. S., & Trihatmoko, E. (2022). Road Transportation Development and Land Use Changes in Semarang City, Central Java, Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Geography, 54(3). https://doi.org/10.22146/ijg.66195

Hengki, M. (2026). Legal Pluralism and Restorative Justice in Dispute Resolution under Indonesian Positive Law and Islamic Law. JISRAH: Jurnal Integrasi Ilmu Syariah, 7(01), 17-31. https://doi.org/10.31958/jisrah.v7i01.16341

Kugara, S. L. (2025). An Assessment of the Legitimacy and Limits of Indigenous Authority in South Africa. African Journal of Law and Justice System, 4(2), 169. https://doi.org/10.31920/2753-3123/2025/v4n2a8

Muhaimin. (2020). Metode penelitian hukum. Mataram: Mataram University Press. Retrieved from https://eprints.unram.ac.id/20305/1/Metode%20Penelitian%20Hukum.pdf

Mukaddam, F. (2024). Contextualising Legal Pluralism. In Muslim Women between Community and Individual Rights: Legal Pluralism and Marriage in South Africa (pp. 23-43). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2024/v27i0a19949

Narayan, A. K., & Oru, M. (2024). Accounting as a social and moral practice: bridging cultures, balancing Indigenous factors, and fostering social accountability. Meditari Accountancy Research, 32(5), 1734-1757. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-06-2023-2044

Noveria, M., Listyaningsih, U., Pitoyo, A. J., & Anaf, A. (2026). Why retired older adults return to their place of origin: a qualitative study in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. Journal of Population Research, 43(2), 9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12546-026-09417-1

Nugroho, S. S., Haryani, A. T., & Farkhani. (2020). Metodologi riset hukum. Surakarta: Oase Pustaka. Retrieved from https://unmermadiun.ac.id/repository_jurnal_penelitian/Sigit%20Sapto%20Nugroho/URL%20Buku%20Ajar/BUKU%20METODOLOGI%20RISET%20HUKUM.pdf

Nurdin, Z. (2022). Legal protection of customary rights under legal pluralism and its impact on the minangkabau society: An empirical study in the district of Lima Puluh Kota, West Sumatra. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1), 2045722.

Pemerintah Nagari Sariak. (2025, July 15). Kerapatan Adat Nagari (KAN). Retrieved from https://nagarisariak.agamkab.go.id/artikel/2025/07/15/kerapatan-adat-nagari-kan

Pengadilan Agama Buntok. (2025, October 15). Memahami batasan mediasi perdata: Gagal, tidak berhasil, dan tidak dapat dilaksanakan menurut PERMA Nomor 1 Tahun 2016. Retrieved from https://pa-buntok.go.id/publikasi/arsip-artikel/834-memahami-batasan-mediasi-perdata-gagal-tidak-berhasil-dan-tidak-dapat-dilaksanakan-menurut-perma-nomor-1-tahun-2016-i-15-10-2025

Salam, S. (2023). Legal Protection of Indigenous Institutions in the Frame of the Rule of Law (Legal Protection Theory). Cepalo, 7(1), 61-70. https://doi.org/10.25041/cepalo.v7no1.2898

Saprina, N., & Rahmi, Y. (2024). Evolution of the Minangkabau inheritance system and its relevance to gender justice in Islamic law. USRATY: Journal of Islamic Family Law, 2(1), 89-101. https://doi.org/10.30983/usraty.v2i1.8377

Saraswati, R., Nurhayati, B. R., Boputra, E., & Amaranila, I. A. (2025). The implementation of low-inheritance customary law within Minangkabau migrant families in Indonesia: A law, power, space approach. Space and Culture. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/12063312251367261

Siregar, T., Harap, A. S., & Lubis, I. (2022). Mediation As an Alternative Dispute Resolution: Customary Law Perspective. Kanun: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, 24, 196-214. https://doi.org/10.24815/kanun.v24i2.26532

Smith, M. L. (2024). Pluralism in State Constitutional Law. Ga. L. Rev., 59, 1233.

Solikin, N. (2021). Pengantar metodologi penelitian hukum. Pasuruan: CV Penerbit Qiara Media. Retrieved from https://digilib.uinkhas.ac.id/12273/1/Buku%20Pengantar%20Metodologi%20Penelitian%20Hukum-Nur%20Solikin%20%281%29%20%281%29.pdf

Sonanda, R., Syuriani, S., & Nazar, J. (2023). Penyelesaian sengketa tanah harta pusako tinggi terhadap ahli waris yang punah melalui Niniak Mamak Nan Salapan di Nagari Ampalu Kabupaten Lima Puluh Kota. Law, Development and Justice Review, 6(2), 147–165. https://doi.org/10.14710/ldjr.6.2023.147-165

Sukriono, D., Sudirman, S., Rapita, D. D., Al Atok, A. R., & Bramantya, A. (2025). Local wisdom as legal dispute settlement: how Indonesia’s communities acknowledge Alternative Dispute Resolution?. Legality: Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum, 33(1), 261-285. https://doi.org/10.22219/ljih.v33i1.39958

Sulfinadia, H., Roszi, J. P., & Puspita, M. (2026). Negotiating Islamic Inheritance and Customary Law: Functional Legal Pluralism and Matrilineal Pusako Ranhah in Minangkabau. J. Islamic L., 7, 1. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v7i1.3743

Sulfinadia, H., Roszi, J. P., Puspita, M., Fadli, A., & Nadzri, A. A. bin. (2026). Negotiating Islamic inheritance and customary law: Functional legal pluralism and matrilineal pusako randah in Minangkabau. Journal of Islamic Law, 7(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v7i1.3743

Sutanti, R. D., Rochaeti, N., & Damora, A. R. (2025). Customary law as an instrument of restorative justice: an alternative approach to criminal conflict resolution in plural legal systems. Clío. Revista de Historia, Ciencias Humanas y Pensamiento Crítico., (10), 1348-1381. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15453907

Swenson, G. (2022). Contending orders: legal pluralism and the rule of law. Oxford University Press.

Tosepu, R. (2025). Customary Deliberation and Local Democracy: The Strategic Role of the Tolaki Traditional Assembly in Sustaining Cultural Governance in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Journal of Law, Social Science and Management, 2(1), 1-4.

Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 17 Tahun 2022 tentang Provinsi Sumatera Barat. (2022). Retrieved from https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/217800/uu-no-17-tahun-2022.

Utami, R. P., & Pratomo, D. S. (2026). Analysis of Sociodemographic Determinants of Not In Employment, Education, or Training (Neet) in Maluku Province. Journal of Development Economic and Social Studies, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.21776/jdess.2026.05.1.22%20

Zhao, E. Y., & Glynn, M. A. (2022). Optimal distinctiveness: On being the same and different. Organization Theory, 3(1), 26317877221079340. https://doi.org/10.1177/26317877221079340

Downloads

Published

2026-07-20