Reconstructing Land Administration Law to Prevent Administrative Reclamation in the Control of Marine Spaces in Indonesia: An Ecological Justice Perspective

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of administrative reclamation, a legal-administrative practice in which marine spaces are transformed into legally recognized land through formal certification procedures without physical reclamation. Despite the clear distinction between land and sea in Indonesia’s agrarian and maritime legal regimes, such practices continue to occur due to regulatory fragmentation, weak institutional coordination, and administrative formalism. Using a normative juridical approach grounded in statutory, conceptual, and analytical methods, this research critically analyzes the legality of land certification over marine areas and its implications for ecological justice and coastal communities’ rights. The study argues that administrative reclamation constitutes a deviation from the principle of legality and undermines the public nature of marine space. It proposes a reconstruction of land administration law through the integration of marine spatial planning, strengthened field verification, and an ecological justice–oriented governance framework to prevent future abuses and ensure sustainable control of marine spaces.