Indonesia’s Constitutional Court Rejects Challenge to Interfaith Marriage Law

Jakarta, MINA — Indonesia’s Constitutional Court on Monday rejected a legal challenge seeking to allow interfaith marriages, reaffirming that marriages are legally valid only if conducted under the same religion or belief system.

Chief Justice Suhartoyo announced the ruling at the court in Central Jakarta, dismissing a petition that sought to amend the 1974 Marriage Law to recognize marriages between people of different religions.

The case, registered as No. 265/PUU-XXIII/2025, was filed by three petitioners, Henoch Thomas, Uswatun Hasanah and Syamsul Jahidin, who asked the court to revoke or revise Article 2(1) of the law. The article states that a marriage is valid only if performed in accordance with the religious laws of the parties involved.

The court ruled the petition “inadmissible,” saying the arguments were unclear and failed to directly address the constitutionality of the provision being challenged. Judges said the petition focused more on administrative difficulties in registering interfaith marriages than on the substance of the law itself.

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The court also said it had difficulty interpreting several alternative requests submitted by the petitioners.

The ruling reinforces Indonesia’s long-standing legal position that the state recognizes only marriages conducted under a single religion or belief system. There is no specific legal framework allowing interfaith marriages outside those religious provisions.

Registration of interfaith marriages remains dependent on existing administrative practices and Supreme Court circulars that guide religious courts and civil registry offices.

Interfaith marriage has been a contentious legal and social issue in Indonesia for years. Similar challenges to the same provision have previously been brought before the Constitutional Court, all of which were rejected.

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Indonesia’s marriage law and administrative practices continue to uphold the principle that a valid marriage must meet religious requirements and be registered in accordance with prevailing laws. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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