FAQs

In the Navajo Nation courts, your legal representative may be either an attorney or advocate who is licensed to practice in the Navajo Nation. Please contact the Navajo Nation Bar Association. or call (928) 871-2211 for an advocate/attorney listing.

You must file your case in the Judicial District Court where your chapter is located. A list of chapters is included in the information for each Judicial District. Click here to return to the main Judicial Districts page.

All district court rules of procedure may be found online via the links on the column to the left. In addition to civil and criminal rules, there are special procedural rules for certain types of cases, such as domestic violence, small claims, probate, repossession, dependency or delinquency cases, and others. For Supreme Court rules, please go to the Supreme Court website.

When the Navajo Nation Council passes a law, the law is codified in the Navajo Nation Code, which contains all the statutory laws of the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation Code is a four-volume set which may be found in any chapter house and most area libraries for public reading. Westlaw subscribers may find it on-line. For more information, contact the Office of Legislative Counsel at (928) 871-7166.

The Judicial Branch is in the process of creating uniform "pro se" forms, which are forms you can fill out and submit yourself without the need for a lawyer. Once they are available, they will be put online. At this time, certain districts have pro se forms and also pro se clinics. Please ask at the court in which your chapter is located. Additionally, DNA People's Legal Services provides pro se packets for qualified clients in certain civil matters.

Peacemaking is not a court. It is the original Diné dispute resolution process and encompasses many traditional services to teach life values and the skills both to emerge from chaos into harmony, and to sustain harmony. The law used is Diné bi beenahaz'aanii. Click here to learn more.

Each judicial district court has a Peacemaking Program office, staffed by a Traditional Program Specialist who is also a peacemaker; or the program office may refer you to a peacemaker in the community. Peacemaking may be done in all cases without exception, provided both parties agree.

If you would like peacemaking but your case requires a court order, e.g. child custody, probate, dependency, or criminal sentencing, first you must file a petition in the Judicial District Court, then tell the judge that you would like a peacemaker to settle your case the traditional way. If you do this, you will not need to argue your case before the judge. Once you obtain a peacemaking agreement, the judge will include the agreement in a court order.

The cost of peacemaker fees in many types of cases can be paid for you by the Peacemaking Program if you qualify, subject to the availability of funds. For more information on the peacemaking district offices and peacemaking services, please go to the Peacemaking Program website or click here.

Complaints against judges are submitted and processed according to the Personnel Rules for Justices and Judges, Section XI "Complaints and Grievances," which can be found on the website of the Administrative Offices of the Courts. You may also click here.