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Socio-Legal Approach to the Patinyawa Custom as a Dispute Resolution Mechanism Dayak Hibun Indigenous Community

1Faculty of Law, Universitas Tanjungpura, Indonesia

2Macquarie Law School, Macquarie University, Australia, Australia

Open Access Copyright 2026 LAW REFORM under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

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Abstract

The Patinyawa custom, practised by the Dayak Hibun community in Sanggau Regency, is an example of customary law as living law. This research aims to improve our understanding of the custom's philosophical values, mechanisms and problem-solving processes, with a particular focus on reconciliation between perpetrators and victims, and the restoration of social relations. This is important because dispute resolution based on local wisdom and aligned with restorative justice remains under-explored. The analysis examines living law, legal pluralism, and restorative justice, emphasising reconciliation, ecological balance, and communal togetherness over revenge. The findings demonstrate that the Patinyawa mechanism focuses on restoring relationships and maintaining microcosmic and macrocosmic harmony, serving as a restorative approach to dispute resolution. They also demonstrate that Patinyawa represents a form of legal pluralism based on justice and legal certainty, where customary and state laws coexist in resolving disputes. In conclusion, Patinyawa is a concrete example of living law integrating restorative justice into the criminal justice system by harmonising legal certainty and justice through customary rituals and local wisdom values.

Keywords: Conflict Resolution; Dayak Hibun; Living Law; Patinyawa Customs; Restorative Justice

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