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Tribal court system

National Survey of Tribal Court Systems (NSTCS)

​​​​​​The legal institutions in Indian country revolve around four main entities: indigenous or traditional courts, general jurisdiction courts, appellate courts, and the Bureau of Indian Affair’s Code of Federal Regulation courts. The National Survey of Tribal Court Systems (NSTCS) is the first complete enumeration of tribal court systems operating in the United States and gathers administrative and operational information from tribal court systems, prosecutors’...

BJS FY 15 National Survey of Tribal Courts Systems (NSTSC-14)

Closing Date
The NSTCS, in combination with other planned and ongoing data collections, will fulfill BJS’s legislative mandate under the 2010 Tribal Law and Order Act to “establish and implement such tribal data collection systems as the BJS Director determines to be necessary.” 42 U.S.C. § 3732(d)(2). Though some information about tribal courts is available through the BJS-sponsored Census of Tribal Justice Agencies and State Court Organization...

BJS FY 11 Census of Tribal Court

Closing Date
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is seeking proposals to administer the 2011 National Survey of Tribal Court Systems (NSTCS). The survey will gather administrative and operational information from tribal courts, prosecutors' offices, and indigent defense providers operating in the estimated 200 federally-recognized tribal justice systems in the United States. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review data collection instruments, datasets, and statistical reports from prior...

Tribal court

As defined in the Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-559), the term "tribal court," "tribal court system," or "tribal justice system" means the entire judicial branch, and employees thereof, of an Indian tribe, including, but not limited to, traditional methods and fora for dispute resolution, trial courts, appellate courts, including inter-tribal appellate courts, alternative dispute resolution systems, and circuit rider systems, established by inherent tribunal authority whether or not they constitute a court of record.
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