Nagaland, situated in the extreme North East of India is the beautiful land of the Nagas - an amalgamation of several tribes of Mongoloid
descent whose people are simple, honest and truthful. The Nagas had a rudimentary system of delivering justice based on simplicity and truthfulness.
This customary law was handed down the generations solely through the word of mouth differing in usage and practice among the various tribes.
Though still unwritten, it continues to be practised in the village level for resolving minor disputes. Its relevance was such that when the
Nagaland state was inaugurated, the people fiercely demanded its protection from the Indian system of laws. As such, the Constitution of India
has a special provision Article 371(A) which protects the Naga customary laws. However, with the advent of Indian system of governance, it became
clear that Naga customary laws would not fully cater to the needs of the people. Thus the need to fill this gap began with the inauguration of
the Circuit Bench of the Gauhati High Court at the capital Kohima on the 1st of December 1972.
The Golden Jubilee of establishment of the Kohima Bench was commemorated on 1st of December 2022 upon completion of 50 years.