This present endeavour seeks to examine the customary laws and traditional institution, administering such laws among the Shertukpen of West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh. The customary laws are the traditional unwritten laws, which are transmitted orally from preceding generation to succeeding generation continuing from time immemorial. In recent times, the customary laws have assumed particular significance in indigenous societies brought under the traditional court for dispensation of justice. The Shertukpen, one of the important tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, traditionally have their own and the unique customary laws governed their socio­cultural life. They have an elaborate “Tukpen Village Council”, the supreme authority of the Shertukpen Tribe. The paper tries to focus about the customary laws and practices in relation to their socio­cultural life, marriage, family, divorce, inheritance, maintenance, adoption, dispensation of justice, which regulated the entire life of the people. It also helped to understand the functioning of the village council and dispensation of justice, imposition of fines in the cases of various natures as well as the contemporary changing trend of customary laws due to various impinging factors.

Keywords: Customary law; Shertukpen; Tukpen village council; Gaon burha; Administration of justice