KESEIMBANGAN KEDUDUKAN PARA PIHAK DALAM PERJANJIAN FRANCHISE DI ERA GEN Z: ANALISIS NORMATIF TERHADAP PRINSIP KEBEBASAN BERKONTRAK DAN KEADILAN KONTRAKTUAL

This study aims to evaluate the balance of positions between parties in franchise agreements, particularly for Gen Z franchisees, with an emphasis on the application of the principle of freedom of contract and contractual justice. The main issue examined is the dominance of franchisors in drafting standard contracts, which limits the negotiation capacity of franchisees and creates an imbalance in rights, obligations, and risks within contractual relationships. This research employs a normative legal approach, combining the statute approach and the conceptual approach. The legal sources analyzed include primary materials (legislation, implementing regulations, and court decisions related to franchise disputes), secondary materials (journal articles, books, and doctrinal commentaries), and tertiary materials (legal dictionaries and encyclopedias). Data collection was conducted through library research, including the review of official documents, academic literature, and court decisions. The analysis was performed qualitatively and normatively using systematic interpretation, doctrinal analysis, syllogistic reasoning, and a comparative approach where relevant. The findings reveal that the freedom of contract in franchise agreements remains formalistic and lacks substantive application, while the imbalance between franchisors and Gen Z franchisees is evident in exclusivity clauses, penalties, unilateral termination, and risk allocation. Contractual justice analysis indicates that franchise agreements fail to fully meet the principles of proportionality and protection of the weaker party. These findings underscore the need for reformulation of standard contracts and strengthening of regulations to better protect young franchisees, while also providing a foundation for further research on standard contracts and the legal literacy of the new generation.