Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part M (2025)

This is a qualitative study of the key role of the chief in interpreting and converting customary law in Nocte tribe in Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Hereditary is the Nocte, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of around 1.12 lakh people in 2025, whose social behavior, marriage, inheritance, land ownership and criminal justice are governed by an orally transmitted customary law through which social behavior is focused on restorative rather than punitive actions. Through a qualitative methodology, the research applied the convenience sampling technique to interview in-depth 16 informed individuals, some tribal elders, council members, and community leaders, with secondary sources being used to support the research on Nocte socio-cultural processes and chieftainship. The data were organized manually in themes and analyzed. The results underscore the chieftainship as the foundation of Nocte government which had the ability to instill deep respect and obedience. The old forms of punishment, such as fines in kind, oaths, compensation, or ostracism, have been replaced by monetary fines, public apologies and cooperation with formal legal systems. Although applicable in conventional crimes, the customary law has difficulties with crimes of new nature such as cyber misconduct, drug abuse, and online harassment which attract administrative rules by the community and the intervention of the state in the intricate cases. Although the contemporary change and change of generation led the young towards statutory law, all the respondents supported the persistence of customary law in culture identity, social cohesion, and access to justice. The analysis highlights the flexibility of Nocte customs, codification, greater integration with formal institutions, and sustainability education, which contribute to the body of knowledge on the development of indigenous governance in contemporary India.