The Role of Ondofolo as a Justice Authority in Protecting Fair Legal Process Based on Mang Mam Mam

Abstract

The leadership and social structure of the Sentani people in Ayapo Village, Jayapura Regency, revolve around the central authority of the Ondofolo to maintain community equilibrium. This study aims to investigate the role and automatic justice authority of the Ondofolo in protecting a fair legal process based on the customary principle of Mang Mam Mam. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were gathered through participant observation, in-depth interviews with traditional figures, and literature documentation, which were subsequently analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. The results reveal that the Ondofolo possesses extensive automatic authority encompassing religious, economic, social, security, and judicial domains within the Yo (village). In executing his judicial functions, the Ondofolo applies a restorative justice approach that prioritizes deliberation, collective moral order, and the restoration of communal harmony over formal punitive sanctions. This process is structurally supported by a hereditary functional hierarchy consisting of Aphu Affa, Kottelo, Akhona, and Uffoi. This study concludes that the Mang Mam Mam-based customary justice system administered by the Ondofolo provides a highly resilient, adaptive, and substantively fair legal mechanism deeply rooted in local cultural values, offering a vital model for legal pluralism in Indonesia.