Our History
The Choctaw Nation Judicial Branch has undergone many changes in the years following its establishment. Through it all, the Judicial Branch has remained a voice for the people, upholding many of the traditional Choctaw values while providing citizens with a safe place to seek justice.
The Treaty of Doak’s Stand establishes the “Light-horse,” which consisted of representatives from each of the three districts. They not only enforced the law but also acted as judge and jury.
Following removal, a new Choctaw Nation constitution was written, which included language ensuring the rights to a trial by jury and security from property seizure without compensation.
A new constitution was established, outlining four powers of government: the legislative power with a General Council, the executive power consisting of three district Chiefs, the judicial power consisting of a Supreme Court and Inferior Courts, and a military power that created a general in each district.
Completed in 1884 in what is now known as Tvshka Homma, the Choctaw Capitol Building served as the seat of Choctaw government until Oklahoma statehood in 1907. The original Council House still stands today as a representation of our proud history.
The new Choctaw Nation Judicial Center, located in Durant, Oklahoma, opened in March 2019. Designed to pay tribute to the original Council House, the Judicial Center is fully modernized with the latest technology and security. It houses courtrooms, offices for justices, court officials, and associates, as well as additional rooms for new and existing programs of the Judicial Branch.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals determined that the Choctaw Nation’s 1866 reservation boundaries were never changed; therefore, land within those boundaries constitutes a reservation and is Indian Country. This decision applied the US Supreme Court’s McGirt Ruling (2020) to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO), reaffirming our sovereignty.