U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN INDIAN, V 2 - THE INDIAN JUDICIARY AND THE CONCEPT OF SEPARATION OF POWERS

NCJ Number
13370
Author(s)
ANON
Date Published
1974
Length
63 pages
Annotation
A DISCUSSION OF DIVERGENT VIEWS OF INDIAN LEADERS ON THE SEPARATION OF POWERS ISSUE, AND AN OVERVIEW OF TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS THAT HAVE ADOPTED OR REJECTED THIS CONCEPT.
Abstract
THIS REPORT BEGINS WITH A CHAPTER OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND POLITICAL ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT. THE SECOND CHAPTER DISCUSSES THE ORGANIZATION AND ALLOCATION OF TRADITIONAL TRIBAL AUTHORITY, JUDICIAL DECISIONS AFFECTING THE INDIANS' FORMS OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE PRESENT STRUCTURES OF TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS. CHAPTER 3 DESCRIBES GENERALLY THE PLACE OF THE COURT IN THE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE PROBLEMS WHICH INDIAN COURTS FACE TODAY, AND HOW THESE PROBLEMS RELATE TO THE CONCEPT OF SEPARATION OF POWERS, ARE DEALT WITH IN DETAIL. FINALLY, SOME CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING THE TRIBAL JUDICIARY AND SEPARATION OF POWERS ARE DRAWN. A NUMBER OF ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES ARE OFFERED FOR DISCUSSION BY ALL PARTIES CONCERNED. THE AUTHORS HOPE THAT THIS DOCUMENT WILL BE USEFUL TO INDIAN COURT JUDGES AND OTHERS IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE BOTH THE COURTS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. FOR MORE VOLUMES IN THIS SERIES, SEE NCJ13369 AND 13371-73.