More than six months after she was appointed to the Navajo Nation’s highest court, a new chief justice was confirmed by the Navajo Nation Council on Wednesday.
After tribal lawmakers voted in favor of JoAnn Jayne, she was immediately sworn in to the Navajo Nation Supreme Court.
Jayne is the first chief justice hired under a change that requires a law degree for the job. She’ll be in probationary status for two years. Tribal lawmakers will then decide whether to give her a lifetime appointment.
The tribe hasn't had a permanent chief justice since Herb Yazzie retired in 2015 after a decade on the bench.
