Labuan Bajo — Tension once again filled the courtroom of the Labuan Bajo District Court on Tuesday (14 October 2025), as the civil case No. 27/Pdt.G/2025/PN.LBJ concerning a land ownership dispute in the strategic tourism area of Labuan Bajo continued to attract public attention.

Before the panel of judges, counsel for the plaintiff, Dr. Endang Hadrian, S.H., M.H., presented two expert witnesses: Kanisius Deki, an expert in customary law, and Husni Kusuma Dinata, S.H., M.H., an expert in civil law.

According to an official statement received by the media, the decision to present both experts was intended to provide the Court with a comprehensive understanding of the dispute. Dr. Endang emphasized that the case concerns not only land ownership but also the customary legal foundations and historical legitimacy of the Kedaluan Nggorang customary communal land (ulayat land).

“This dispute has clear customary law roots. Our client's land originates from customary communal land that was granted by Dalu Ishaka and Haku Mustafa, two customary authorities of Kedaluan Nggorang. Therefore, we presented both a customary law expert and a civil law expert so that the Court may examine the matter comprehensively from the perspectives of both customary law and the national legal system,” Dr. Endang stated after the hearing.

He further argued that the defendant's claim of ownership, based solely on the long-term occupation of the land by the defendant's parents, cannot establish legal ownership.

“Under customary law, possession does not equate to ownership. A person who merely cultivates or farms customary communal land acquires only the right to harvest its produce, not ownership of the land itself,” he explained.

Labuan Bajo Is Part of the Kedaluan Nggorang Customary Territory

The testimony of customary law expert Kanisius Deki became one of the highlights of the hearing. He firmly stated that Labuan Bajo remains part of the customary territory of Kedaluan Nggorang, where customary law continues to exist, remains applicable, and is still respected by the local community.

Dr. Endang described the testimony as highly significant.

“The customary law expert confirmed that anyone wishing to acquire land in Labuan Bajo must first receive a customary land grant from the authorized customary leaders. This has long been the prevailing customary norm. No one can simply claim ownership of customary communal land merely because they have occupied or used it,” he said.

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