<![CDATA[The application of Supreme Court Circular Letter (SEMA) No. 3 of 2023 provides an exception to the six-month separation requirement in divorce cases based on continuous disputes and quarrels when domestic violence is established. The exception raises questions concerning victim protection, evidentiary assessment, and judicial discretion. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the domestic violence exception from the perspective of Sadd al-żarī‘ah and analyse its application in Religious Courts. This study used a normative legal method with statutory, conceptual, and case approaches. Legal materials were analysed doctrinally using five parameters of sadd al-żarī‘ah, namely the existence of al-Żarī‘ah, the causal and probable relationship between the means and mafsadah, the nature and gravity of mafsadah, preventive necessity, and proportionality. The results showed that the six-month separation requirement may function as a żarī‘ah when its application in domestic violence cases risks prolonging or intensifying harm to victims. The exception under SEMA No. 3 of 2023 functions as a preventive mechanism to prevent greater mafsadah. The effectiveness depends on judicial assessment of legally relevant and admissible evidence. Judicial discretion should not be understood as authority to disregard evidentiary rules, but as a contextual assessment within procedural law, particularly where psychological and other forms of domestic violence are difficult to establish through conventional evidence. In conclusion, immediate amendment of SEMA No. 3 of 2023 is not necessarily required. Rather, the application should be strengthened through gender-sensitive and victim-centred judicial practice, clearer evidentiary guidance, and appropriate use of expert and psychological evidence. Future studies should examine broader judicial decisions through socio-legal approaches.]]>
