tribal court
Tribal Court. Under the Indian Child Welfare Act, a court with child-custody jurisdiction that is (1) a Court of Indian Offenses, (2) a court established and operated under the code or custom of a tribe, or (3) any other tribal administrative body that is vested with authority over child-custody proceedings. • The Tribal Court is composed of tribal members, is usu. situated on the reservation, and varies in its characteristics from tribe to tribe. It is not part of any state’s judicial system, instead operating more or less as a judicial system of a foreign nation. See INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT.
