Legal Policy Regarding Changes to the Marriage Law

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the legal policy of Law No. 16 of 2019 concerning amendments to Law No. 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage. The research method used is normative legal research. The results of this study indicate that the legal policy of Law No. 16 of 2019 concerning Amendments to Law No. 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage is motivated by the spirit of preventing child marriage, using a method of raising the marriageable age. This is considered urgent and must be ratified immediately. The political configuration in the formation of this law can be described as democratic, as evidenced by the discussions that absorbed the aspirations of various parties. However, it can also be considered authoritarian, as seen when the government usurped and forced through a bill proposed by the government, even though the bill had already been discussed and proposed by the House of Representatives (DPR).