Justice at the Margins: Negotiating Criminal Liability within Legal Pluralism among the Suku Anak Dalam Indigenous Community in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31958/juris.v25i1.15474Keywords:
Legal pluralism, Criminal liability, Indigenous communities, Customary law, Islamic criminal law, Suku Anak DalamAbstract
Criminal liability for murder in Indonesia is complex when perpetrators originate from indigenous communities that maintain customary legal systems. In this context, differences between the national Criminal Code (KUHP), Islamic criminal law, and indigenous norms create challenges in defining responsibility and determining appropriate punishment. A case including the Anak Dalam (Suku Anak Dalam/SAD) community in Jambi shows how marginalized groups often exist outside formal legal frameworks, leading to legal uncertainty. Previous studies tend to examine legal doctrine or indigenous culture separately, leaving limited analysis concerning the interaction of the systems. The gap reports the need for an integrated method to criminal accountability that accommodates legal pluralism. Therefore, this study used a descriptive qualitative method combined with normative legal research. Data were collected through document analysis of primary and secondary legal sources, including statutory regulations, the Criminal Code, Qur’anic principles, and relevant scholarly literature. NVivo 12 Plus software was used to conduct qualitative coding, cluster analysis, and word frequency mapping to identify key sub-factors. The results showed that criminal responsibility in cases comprising the Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) reflects the operation of legal pluralism. Formal law enforcement is limited through structural and socio-cultural barriers, namely language differences, internal solidarity, testimonial reluctance, evidentiary limitations, customary norms, and semi-nomadic residence patterns. Beyond procedural constraints, criminal accountability was shaped by the interaction between state criminal, Islamic criminal, and indigenous customary law. Each system offered distinct concepts of justice, sanction, and responsibility. These normative frameworks intersected and negotiated outcomes, producing differentiated enforcement patterns within a plural legal environment.References
Abdul Gani, R., Effendi, G. N., & Wardani, R. K. (2023). Restorative Justice for Settlement of Minor Maltreatment in the Legal Area of the Merangin Police, Jambi Province. Al-Risalah: Forum Kajian Hukum Dan Sosial Kemasyarakatan, 23(1), 93–107. https://doi.org/10.30631/alrisalah.v23i1.1333
Abdullah, M. A., Mansur, T. M., Sulaiman, S., & Usman, M. B. (2024). Robbery and Bullying: Protection Through Pageu Gampong Customary Law, and Islamic Law. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam, 8(3), 1691. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v8i3.22713
Alhusni, A., Kurniawan, E., & Mulyatin, P. (2021). The Islamization of Suku Anak Dalam in Jambi and Animism Claims: From Aqidah to Fiqh al-Salah Consolidation. Al-Risalah: Forum Kajian Hukum Dan Sosial Kemasyarakatan, 21(1), 131–143. https://doi.org/10.30631/alrisalah.v21i1.794
Arief, A., Sultan, L., Rauf Muhammad Amin, A., Musyahid, A., Fazlurrahman Syarif Al-Manāhij, M., Kajian Hukum Islam, J., Najib, M., Nurul Huda, U., & Arif Faizal, E. (2025). Reconstructing the Indonesian Legal System through the Lens of Maṣlaḥah Mursalah. Al-Manahij: Jurnal Kajian Hukum Islam, 19(1), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.24090/MNH.V19I1.7861
Asmorojati, A. W., & Sulaiman, K. F. (2022). Asymmetric Decentralization in A Unitary State: The Legitimization of The Sultan’s Daughter as The Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Jurnal Hukum Novelty, 13(2), 171–188. https://doi.org/10.26555/novelty.v13i2.a24079
Asra, R., Silalahi, M., & Fijridiyanto, I. A. (2020). The practice and plants used in besale ritual healing by the anak dalam tribe in nyogan village, jambi, indonesia. Biodiversitas, 21(10), 4529–4536. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d211009
Asri, S. A. (2021). The crime of murder in articles 338 and 340 of the criminal law code from the perspective of Islamic criminal law. Doctoral Dissertation, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, 1(1), 1–15.
Basuki, U. (2020). Reflection on Efforts to Increase Legal Awareness in the Framework of Law Enforcement in Indonesia. Literasi Hukum, 4(2), 5.
CNN. (2019). Warga Suku Anak Dalam Jambi Dibui (p. 1).
CNN. (2022). Tribal Children in Jambi Jailed for 4 Months in Case of Apparatus Persecution (pp. 1–2).
Darmalaksana, W. (2020). Metode Penelitian Kualitatif Studi Pustaka dan Studi Lapangan Wahyudin. UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung.
Daulay, A. (2013). The Dynamics Of Forest Use By Suku Anak Dalam Bathin Ix In Village Senami Of Batanghari Regency. Jurnal Bina Praja, 05(01), 35–42. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.05.2013.35-42
David, W., Widianingsih, N. N., Ardiansyah, & Ploeger, A. (2015). Reliance of Suku Anak Dalam to Harapan Rainforest, Indonesia: Foodstuff collection preference. International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 11(1), 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJARGE.2015.069795
Dedi, & Roni Nurhidayat. (2022). Upaya Pencegahan Tindak Pidana Korupsi Melalui Peran Serta Masyarakat. JUSTICES: Journal of Law. https://doi.org/10.58355/justices.v1i1.2
Dona, F., Ariyani, E., Junaidi, J., Zahriani, L., & Fattaah, A. (2025). Implementing Restorative Justice in Criminal Case Resolution: A Socio-Legal Research. Al-Ahkam: Jurnal Ilmu Syari’ah Dan Hukum, 10(1), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.22515/alahkam.v10i1.10263
Effendi, G. N., & Purnomo, E. P. (2020). Collaboration Government and CSR A Case Study of Suku Anak Dalam in Pompa Air village, Jambi-Indonesia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business, Arts and Science, 2(1), 19–39. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3632103
Erindia, Dewi, R., & Andriyani. (2021). The Criminal Action Of Exhibitionism According To Islamic Criminal Law. Jurnal Raden Patah, 21(2), 327–336.
Febi Rizka Eliza, M. R. dan D. N. (2018). The Role of Government toward KAT SAD Empowerment Program in Jambi Province in 2018. Jurnal Kesmas Jambi, 2(1), 40–49.
Habi, N. F., & Mudzhar, M. A. (2024). Women, Islamic Law and Custom in Pucuk Induk Undang Nan Limo Manuscript of Jambi. AHKAM : Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, 24(2), 233–250. https://doi.org/10.15408/ajis.v24i2.38557
Hai-Jew, S. (2020). NVivo 12 Plus’s New Qualitative Cross-Tab Analysis Function. Kansas State University.
Harnov, H., Amzu, E., & Soekmadi, R. (2017). Konservasi Hutan Belajar Dari Nilai-Nilai Etik Dan Tradisi Bejernang Suku Anak Dalam Di Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas, Provinsi Jambi. RISALAH KEBIJAKAN PERTANIAN DAN LINGKUNGAN: Rumusan Kajian Strategis Bidang Pertanian Dan Lingkungan, 3(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.20957/jkebijakan.v3i1.15233
HSinulingga, R., & Sugiharto, R. (2020). Comparative Study of the Criminal Sanction of Murder in the Criminal Code (KUHP) with Islamic Law in the Context of Renewing the Criminal Law. Sultan Agung Fundamental Research Journal, 1(1), 31–43.
Indrizal, E., & Anwar, H. (2023a). The indigenous people Suku Anak Dalam Batin Sembilan livelihood: Adaptation and socio-cultural dynamics. ETNOSIA : Jurnal Etnografi Indonesia, 8(1), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.31947/etnosia.v8i1.23836
Jackson, K., & Bazeley, P. (2019). Qualitative Data Analysis with NVivo (3rd edn). SAGE Publications.
Jafar, W. A., Asmara, M., Faizin, M., Octavianne, H., & Kisworo, B. (2024). Philosophical Foundations and Human Rights in the Bajapuik Tradition: Bridging Local Wisdom and Islamic Law in Minangkabau Marriage Practices. De Jure: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syar’iah, 16(1), 212–233. https://doi.org/10.18860/j-fsh.v16i1.27681
Jain, N. (2021). A Tale of Two Cities: Reflections on Robinson’s Twinning of International Criminal Law and Criminal Law Theory. In Temp. Int’l & Comp. LJ (p. 25).
Mairida, D., Muhadiono, M., & Hilwan, I. (2016). Ethnobotanical Study of Rattans on Suku Anak Dalam Community in Bukit Duabelas Nasional Park. Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education, 8(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.15294/biosaintifika.v8i1.5164
Mantowa, H. A. D., L., M., & Panggabeanb. (2021). Criminal Theory of Sanctions Imposed by Judges for the Crime of Attempted Murder. Jurnal To-Ra, 7(April), 193–198.
Mashdurohatun, A., Harahs, E. A. A. M., Datuiding, M. I., Syambas, A. H., & Wibowo, P. A. (2026). Contemporary Reassessment of Punishment in Islamic and Secular Law: A Comparative Study of Justice and Penal Philosophy. MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review, 5(1), 80–100. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v5i1.11887
Misbachul, M., & Zumrotun, S. (2023). The Position of Ijbar Rights in Perspective Islamic Law and Human Rights. El-Usrah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga, 5(2), 89–95.
Muawanah, U., Yusuf, G., Adrianto, L., Kalther, J., Pomeroy, R., Abdullah, H., & Ruchimat, T. (2018). Review of national laws and regulation in Indonesia in relation to an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. Marine Policy, 91, 150–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.01.027
Muliyono, A., & Marbun, R. (2021). Symbolic Dominance in the Criminal Law Enforcement Indonesia: Convergence Between the Trinity of Power and Truth-Games. 590(Inclar), 45–50.
Muslimahayati, M., & Wardani, A. K. (2019). Implementasi Etnomatematika Masyarakat Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) Kabupaten Batanghari Provinsi Jambi pada Pembelajaran Matematika. Jurnal Elemen, 5(2), 108. https://doi.org/10.29408/jel.v5i2.957
Mustika, D., & Dastina, W. (2020). Religious, Economic, and Political Shifting in Inheritance System of Suku Anak Dalam. AHKAM : Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, 20(1), 49–78. https://doi.org/10.15408/ajis.v20i1.13568
Mutawali, M. (2022). Customary Law of Dou Donggo Bima from the Perspective of Islamic and Indonesian Positive Law. Al-Ihkam: Jurnal Hukum Dan Pranata Sosial, 17(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.19105/AL-LHKAM.V17I1.6007
Ngazizah, I. F., Ismayawati, A., Jalil, S. N. B. A., & Karim, M. B. (2025). Localizing Islamic Law: Marriage Practices and the Pak Ponjen Tradition in Kudus. El-Mashlahah, 15(1), 59–78. https://doi.org/10.23971/el-mashlahah.v15i1.8906
Norhusairi, M., Hussin, M., Arifah, R. N., Aisyah, S., Daud, M. Z., & Samah, M. (2025). Local Wisdom and Gender Equality in Joint Property Division: An Islamic Legal Perspective from Malaysia. De Jure: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syar’iah, 17(2), 394–416. https://doi.org/10.18860/J-FSH.V17I2.31562
Olubiyi, O., Smiley, G., Luckel, H., & Melaragno, R. (2019). A qualitative case study of employee turnover in retail business. Heliyon, 5(6), e01796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01796
Perawati, S., Andriani, L., Anggresani, L., & Ardila, E. (2019). Ethnopharmacy Study of Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) in Muara Kilis Village, Tengah Ilir, Tebo District, Jambi Province. Biospecies, 12(2), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.22437/biospecies.v12i2.5551
Prasetya, E. (2022). The Shooting Case of 3 SAD Persons Against Security Guard Ends Peace (pp. 1–5). Merdeka.
Putri Natasya, D., & Dian Andriasari. (2023). Penegakan Hukum terhadap Tindak Pidana Penyebaran Konten Kejahatan Pornografi Balas Dendam (Revenge Porn) di Media Sosial Ditinjau dari UU ITE Dan UU Pornografi. Bandung Conference Series: Law Studies, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.29313/bcsls.v3i1.4922
Ratih, K. W. (2020). Comparison Study On The Arrangement Of Sanctions For The Crime Of Murder In The Perspective Of Criminal Law And Islamic Law. Doctoral Dissertation, Universitas Andalas.
Rina, A. (2016). Agrarian Conflicts of Suku Anak dalam in Jambi in Sociological Review. 01(7), 109–124.
Saputra, H., Yunita, N., Mardhiaturrahman, A., & Purnamasari, W. (2021). Interpretations of Verses about Islamic Criminal Law and its Polemics in Indonesia’s Positive Law. AJIS: Academic Journal of Islamic Studies, 6(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.29240/ajis.v6i1.2612
Sari, M. T. (2019). Persepsi Komunitas Adat Terpencil Suku Anak Dalam (SAD) terhadap Pelayanan Kesehatan. 19(3), 602–607. https://doi.org/10.33087/jiubj.v19i3.765
Sari, N. (2019). Juridical Review Of The Killing Of Village Residents Legacy By Children In According To Positive Law And Islamic Law. State Islamic University Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin, 1(1), 1.
Sinaga, L. Y., & Rustaman, N. Y. (2015). Nilai-Nilai Kearifan Lokal Suku Anak Dalam Provinsi Jambi terhadap Perladangan di Hutan Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas sebagai Sumber Belajar Biologi. Seminar Nasional XII Pendidikan Biologi FKIP UNS 2015, 761–766.
Takiddin, T. (2014). NILAI-NILAI KEARIFAN BUDAYA LOKAL ORANG RIMBA (Studi pada Suku Minoritas Rimba di Kecamatan Air Hitam Provinsi Jambi). SOSIO DIDAKTIKA: Social Science Education Journal, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.15408/sd.v1i2.1258
Tempo.com. (2022). Tribal Children Sentenced to 3 Months in Prison (p. 1).
Tolkah Tolkah. (2021). Customary Law Existency in The Modernization of Criminal Law in Indonesia. Varia Justicia, 17(1), 72–89.
Varista Sury, S. (2019). Nasib Kehidupan Orang Rimba atau Suku Anak Dalam di Taman Nasional Bukit Dua Belas, Provinsi Jambi Seiring Perkembangan Zaman Berkaitan dengan Implementasi Nilai Pancasila dalam Bermasyarakat, Berbangsa, dan Bernegara. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, 53(9), 1689–1699. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
Wibawa, S. W. (2017). Kelimpahan Sumberdaya Hutan di Sekitar Desa Baru Pelepat. Dalam Belajar Dari Bungo Mengelola Sumberdaya Alam di Era Desentralisasi. In YouTube (Issue January 2008).
Yanti, I., Yuliatin, Y., Mahmudah, S., Mahluddin, M., & Larasati, Y. G. (2025). Negotiating Sharīʿah and Customary Law: Legal Pluralism in Familial Relationships among the Suku Anak Dalam in Jambi. Journal of Islamic Law, 6(2), 177–205. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v6i2.3311
Yuliatin, Effendi, G. N., Fathoni, M. K., Syuaib, K., & Rahmat, A. F. (2025). Kawin Ajum in Jambi Socio-Legal and Islamic Law Perspectives on Cultural and Religious. Ijtihad : Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam Dan Kemanusiaan, 25(1), 165–189.
Yuliatin, Effendi, G. N., Sibawaihi, M., Santri, D. D., & Utami, H. S. (2025). Reciprocity and Debt in Marriage Traditions in Jambi: An Inheritance Calculation Analysis from The Perspective of Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah. Al-Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Islam, 10(1), 154–171. https://doi.org/10.29240/jhi.v10i1.11127
Yusdani. (2022). Islamic Law and Contemporary Challenges from Fresh Ijtihad Point of View. Jurnal Hukum Islam, 20(1), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.28918/jhi.v20i1.5991
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ruslan Abdul Gani, Ghina Nabilah Efendi, M. Rudi Hartono, Amirulhakim Bin Ahmad Nadzri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
