Journal of Law and Digital Civilization

E-Government and Artificial Intelligence in Electronic Administration: A Normative Legal Analysis of Modern Government Digitalization

Hananta Aldhanny Wibisono — 2026-03-07

Digital transformation is a central pillar of Society 5.0; however, translating technological advancements into sustainable public value within public administration remains limited, particularly in terms of legal readiness. Although existing scholarship on e-government and Artificial Intelligence (AI) predominantly focuses on technological efficiency and service innovation, there remains a significant research gap concerning the absence of a robust and comprehensive legal framework governing AI-based e-government in Indonesia, which represents the central problem and novelty addressed in this study. This research examines the application of AI in e-government from a normative legal perspective, focusing on Indonesia’s regulatory preparedness. It employs normative legal methods through conceptual, statutory, and comparative approaches. The findings demonstrate that AI possesses substantial potential to enhance electronic administration by improving efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness in public services. Nevertheless, Indonesia currently lacks a comprehensive and binding legal framework specifically regulating AI implementation in e-government, particularly in relation to accountability, transparency, data protection, and legal safeguards for citizens. This regulatory deficiency generates legal uncertainty and risks undermining public trust in digital governance. A comparative analysis with the United States reveals a more structured regulatory approach to AI-based e-government, supported by clearer data protection and accountability mechanisms. This research contributes a novel legal analysis by positioning regulatory readiness as a prerequisite for responsible AI-driven governance, arguing that technological transformation must be institutionally anchored within a coherent legal framework. Strengthening Indonesia’s legal infrastructure is therefore essential to ensure accountable AI implementation and to realize sustainable digital government transformation.

Online Marriage and Divorce Fatwas: Religious Authority and the Digital Transformation of Islamic Family Law

Ahmad Rezy Meidina — 2026-03-07

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has significantly transformed the production, dissemination, and authority of Islamic legal opinions (fatwas), particularly in the domain of Muslim family law. This article examines digital fatwas concerning online marriage and divorce as a critical site for understanding the reconfiguration of religious authority and Islamic legal reasoning in the digital age. Focusing specifically on issues such as virtual marriage contracts, digital guardianship, and divorce pronouncements conveyed through electronic media, the study explores how religious institutions and scholars respond to emerging online marital practices. Employing a qualitative socio-legal approach, this research analyzes selected digital fatwas issued by authoritative Islamic legal bodies and prominent scholars, alongside relevant classical fiqh doctrines on marriage and divorce. The analysis is framed through the perspectives of uṣūl al-fiqh, maqāṣid al-sharīʿah, and legal pluralism to examine the negotiation between normative Islamic law and contemporary technological realities. The findings reveal that digital fatwas on online marriage and divorce reflect both continuity and transformation within Islamic family law. While classical principles concerning consent, guardianship, and legal certainty remain foundational, digital contexts necessitate reinterpretations that reshape procedural norms and challenge traditional mechanisms of religious authority. Moreover, digital platforms contribute to the decentralization of fatwa authority, expanding public engagement while simultaneously generating legal ambiguities and contestations. This study highlights the implications of digitalization for legal legitimacy and the future development of Islamic jurisprudence in digitally mediated societies.

Coalition Expansion and Digital Democracy in Indonesia: Comparative Perspectives from Southeast Asia

Imelda Hermilinda Abas — 2026-05-14

Indonesia’s presidential system operates within a fragmented multiparty political structure that continuously shapes coalition formation and democratic governance. In practice, presidents frequently consolidate political support by incorporating political parties and former electoral rivals into governing coalitions, thereby creating oversized coalitions that affect the effectiveness of parliamentary opposition and democratic checks and balances. This study examines the relationship between coalition formation, opposition dynamics, and digital democracy within Indonesia’s multiparty presidential system while providing comparative perspectives from the Philippines and Thailand. This research employs a normative legal method using statutory, historical, and conceptual approaches, supported by qualitative analysis of political and constitutional practices. The findings reveal that coalition expansion has become a dominant political strategy for maintaining governmental stability and securing legislative support, particularly during the administrations of Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto. However, the incorporation of opposition parties into executive coalitions has weakened the institutional role of parliamentary opposition and strengthened executive dominance. The study further demonstrates that digital democracy has transformed political participation by enabling citizens to engage more actively in political discourse, monitor government policies, and criticize coalition practices through digital platforms. Comparative analysis indicates that similar patterns of coalition pragmatism and weakened opposition are also evident in the Philippines and Thailand, although these developments are shaped by distinct political and institutional contexts.

Digital Transformation of Civil Justice in Indonesia and Malaysia: A Comparative Study on the Effectiveness of E-Court Services

Wahyu Aida Nahar — 2026-05-29

The digital transformation of judicial institutions has become an important strategy for improving the effectiveness, transparency, and accessibility of civil justice systems in various countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia. The implementation of electronic court (e-court) services represents a significant shift in judicial administration by integrating information technology into case registration, payment systems, document submission, and online hearings. This study aims to comparatively analyze the effectiveness of e-court services in Indonesia and Malaysia, with particular focus on the implementation of digital court systems at Purwokerto District Court and selected Malaysian courts. The research employs a comparative socio-legal approach using qualitative methods. Data are obtained through legal documents, regulations, institutional reports, and relevant literature concerning judicial digitalization in both countries. The study examines several indicators of effectiveness, including accessibility, efficiency, procedural transparency, service quality, and challenges in implementation. The findings indicate that although both countries have experienced substantial progress in judicial digitalization, differences remain in technological infrastructure, regulatory support, digital literacy, and institutional readiness. Indonesia demonstrates significant advancement through the expansion of e-court services, while Malaysia exhibits relatively stronger integration in certain aspects of judicial digital systems. The study concludes that effective digital transformation requires not only technological innovation but also adaptive legal frameworks and institutional capacity strengthening to ensure broader access to justice.

Toward Culturally Grounded Constitutional Justice: A Bibliometric Analysis of Ethical Principles, Javanese Customary Law, and Restorative Justice in Indonesia

Muthoifin Muthoifin — 2026-05-31

The Indonesian legal system represents a unique interaction between constitutional law, Pancasila values, and diverse customary traditions. However, scholarly discussions on the integration of ethics, Javanese customary law, and restorative justice within the constitutional framework remain fragmented and insufficiently explored. This study aims to analyze the development of academic discourse on ethical principles, customary law, and restorative justice in Indonesia, with particular emphasis on the contribution of Javanese legal traditions to contemporary legal reform. This research employed a bibliometric approach using the Scopus database, covering publications from 2020 to 2025. A total of 980 relevant documents were analyzed to identify publication trends, thematic developments, international collaboration networks, and dominant research topics related to ethics, restorative justice, constitutional law, and customary legal traditions. The findings indicate a significant increase in scholarly attention after 2020, reaching its peak in 2024. Ethics, justice, sustainability, human rights, and legal reform emerged as the dominant themes in the literature. Although Javanese customary law remains underrepresented in international publications, it demonstrates considerable potential to enrich restorative justice discourse through culturally grounded legal perspectives. The study also reveals strong international collaboration, particularly involving the United Kingdom, the United States, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Japan. Theoretically, this study contributes to the advancement of pluralistic legal scholarship. Practically, the findings may support legal reform, curriculum development, and policy formulation aligned with Asta Cita 7 and Sustainable Development Goal 16 concerning peace, justice, and strong institutions.