Penulisan tesis ini mengkaji tentang Kewenangan Camat Dalam Pelepasan Hak Atas Tanah di Kota Tarakan. Permasalahan yang dikaji dalam penelitian ini yaitu Kewenangan Camat di Kota Tarakan dalam menyaksikan dan menandatangani SKPHAT serta Akibat hukum SKPHAT yang disaksikan dan ditandatangani oleh Camat di Kota Tarakan. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian hukum yuridis normatif (Legal Research), dengan menggunakan pendekatan perundang-undangan (statute approach) dan pendekatan konseptual (Conseptual Approach).Sumber bahan hukum yang digunakan dalam penulisan tesis ini adalah bahan hukum primer dan bahan hukum sekunder.Bahan hukum primer yang terdiri dari keseluruhan perundang-undangan yang mengatur tentang Camat dan Pelepasan Hak,serta bahan hukum sekunder berupa buku- buku, karya ilmiah dan jurnal hukum.yang berkaitan dengan penelitian kewenangan Camat di bidang pertanahan. Tindakan Camat Tarakan Utara menyaksikan dan menandatangani SKPHAT terhadap jual beli tanah yang dilakukan dihadapannya tidak sesuai dengan ketentuan Pasal 37 Ayat (1) Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 37 Tahun 1998 Tentang Peraturan Jabatan Pejabat Pembuat Akta Tanah mengingat kapasitas Camat Tarakan Utara bukan selaku PPAT Sementara sehingga tindakan hukum tersebut harus dihentikan mengingat tidak diperolehnya kepastian hukum bagi masyarakat dalam hal pendaftaran tanah. Camat Tarakan Utara hanya memiliki kewenangan menyaksikan dan bertanda tangan mengetahui terhadap pelepasan hak bagi kepentingan perusahaan swasta dalam rangka penanaman modal di Kota Tarakan sesuai Pasal 131 Ayat (3) Huruf (a) Angka (2) Peraturan Menteri Negara Agraria/Kepala BPN Nomor 3 Tahun 1997 tentang Ketentuan Pelaksanaan Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 24 Tahun 1997 Tentang Pendaftaran Tanah dan bentuk SKPHAT merupakan akta di bawah tangan yang memiliki kekuatan pembuktian seperti akta otentik sepanjang tidak dipermasalahkan oleh para pihak, sehingga untuk memperkuat kapasitas Camat, sudah semestinya Pemerintah memberikan kewenangan kepada Camat untuk membuat akta pelepasan hak atas tanah melalui Undang-Undang berikut bentuk aktanya agar diperoleh kekuatan pembuktian akta otentik terhadap SKPHAT sesuai ketentuan Pasal 1868 BW.

The research of this thesis is to studying about the authority from the head of district in Tarakan citydue the release of land rights.There are two major problems of this research which are the authority head of district in order to act as a witness and to signthe form of SKPHAT and due thelaw impact of SKPHAT that have been witnessed and signed by the head of district in the city of Tarakan. This research based on normative juridical law research ( legal research), by adopting rule and regulations statute approach and adopting conseptual approach. A source of materials law that used to writing this thesis areprimary and secondary material law primary. Material law primary consisting of a whole legislation which regulates district and land rights relinquishment, as well as material law secondary such as books, scientific work and journals law pertaining research to the authority of the head of districk in the field of land. The action from the head of north Tarakan district in order to witnessed and signed SKPHATthat has been done by parties to ferform land trading in front of him was not accordance with the provision of article 37 paragraph ( 1 ) government regulation number 37 of 1998, about the rules official position land certificate maker, remembering capacity head of north tarakan district not as an official position land certificate land maker so that the act of the law must be stopped considering procures legal certainty for the terms of land registration.Head of north Tarakan district only has the authority to witnessed and signed by aware of land rights relinquishment for the interests of the private companies in order investment in the city of Tarakan in accordance with the article 131 paragraph (3) section (a) numbers (2) the State Minister of Agrarian/Head of National Land Organization number 3 of 1997 as the provisions of the government regulation number 24 of 1997 on about land registration, and the type of SKPHAT is under the hand form of deed that having the same power as an authentic deed unless there is problematic by the parties that have done it. In order to strengthen the capacity of the Head district in land field in future, the Government should be provides the authority to made the deed of the release of land rights by statute regulation include the following form of that deed which obtained the power of SKPHT to become an authentic deed according to the provision of article 1868 Burgerlijk Wetboek.