Publication

This paper shows how Indonesia's family courts for Muslims - long among the most liberal in the Muslim world - have embraced reform within a judicial system notorious for corruption and incompetence, taking the lead in efforts to deliver decisions that are more accessible, transparent and fair for women and the poor. These courts may still have a way to go to reach standards of judicial service achieved in certain developed countries, but they are nonetheless an example of how state Islamic institutions can contribute to Indonesia's broader reform agenda by focusing on the needs of poor and marginalized groups.