TINJAUAN YURIDIS MELINJOAN (KAWIN LARI) MENURUT HUKUM ADAT SUKU LAUJE DI KEC. PALASA KAB. PARIGI MOUTONG

Melinjoan (elopement) is a marriage conducted without parental consent, wherein a male and female couple run away from their respective homes to get married. The phenomenon of elopement or marriage without parental approval has become a social issue occurring across various cultures, particularly within the Lauje tribal community, which strongly adheres to traditional values. The problems examined in this study concern the factors influencing the occurrence of Melinjoan (elopement) in Ulatan Village, Palasa Sub-district, Parigi Moutong Regency, and the customary sanctions imposed on Melinjoan (elopement) according to customary law in Ulatan Village, Palasa Sub-district, Parigi Moutong Regency. This study utilizes an empirical legal research method aimed at examining the law in its practical reality and investigating how the law operates within society. The results indicate that the factors influencing elopement in Ulatan Village, Palasa Sub-district, Parigi Moutong Regency include low educational attainment affecting adolescents' mindsets and decision-making, the absence of parental blessing due to differences in social status, education, and the prospective partner's behavior, economic pressures in the form of high wedding financial demands (uang belanja), and premarital pregnancy, which induces social pressure and shame, driving young couples to conceal the disgrace through elopement. Furthermore, the customary sanctions imposed on perpetrators of elopement consist of the submission of customary items through the salamate traditional ceremony, including 1 knife (piso), 1 machete (piging), 1 mat (bail), 1 bowl (tuvung), a one-meter length of white cloth (kaing memeas/salapa), and a cash fine of IDR 7,000,000. These sanctions aim to restore social status and family dignity that were compromised, emphasizing deliberative values (musyawarah), moral responsibilety, and respect for the customary social structure.

Keywords: Melinjoan (Elopement), Customary Law, Lauje Tribe