Instant Divorce and the Protection of Women's Rights in Islamic Family Law: A Comparative Study between Indonesia and India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51278/bil.v2i2.1956Keywords:
Islamic Family Law, India, Indonesia, Legal Comparison, Women's Protection, Instant DivorceAbstract
The practice of instant divorce or triple talaq constitutes a form of unilateral divorce that remains controversial within Islamic family law, particularly in relation to the protection of women's rights. Although both Indonesia and India share a common spirit of safeguarding women, their respective legal approaches demonstrate fundamental differences. This study aims to analyze the legal regulation of instant divorce in both countries, identify the forms of legal protection afforded to women who are victims of instant divorce, and compare the effectiveness of the legal approaches used in ensuring justice. This research employs a qualitative method using a normative-juridical approach and comparative study. Data were collected from statutory regulations, court decisions, legal literature, and previous studies. The findings reveal that Indonesia legally rejects instant divorce and mandates that divorce proceedings must go through the religious court, thereby enabling more comprehensive protection for women through mechanisms such as mediation and judicial supervision. Conversely, India adopts a criminalization approach, explicitly banning the practice of instant divorce through the 2017 Supreme Court ruling and the enactment of the 2019 law. Both approaches have their respective strengths and limitations; however, they share a common goal of balancing Islamic legal principles with the values of gender justice. This study concludes that protecting women who are victims of instant divorce requires not only the force of formal legal frameworks but also sustained social education and support systems.
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