Military justice

Military justice is the system of laws, courts, and procedures governing criminal offenses and discipline within armed forces. It operates alongside civilian law and varies by country.

Court-martial: A military court that tries service members for offenses under military law. It is the principal forum for trying serious offenses within armed forces.
Military law: The body of law governing armed forces, military operations, and service members. Military justice is the adjudicative and disciplinary part of this broader legal field.
Civilian criminal justice: The system of laws and institutions that investigates, prosecutes, and adjudicates crimes among civilians. Its courts and procedures may overlap with military authority over service members.
My Lai massacre: The 1968 killing of hundreds of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. The prosecutions exposed limits and failures in military accountability for wartime crimes.
Military judge: A judicial officer who presides over proceedings in a military court. The judge manages trials and rules on legal questions in courts-martial.
Military discipline: The ordered conduct and compliance with rules required for effective armed forces. Discipline is a central purpose of military justice, alongside accountability.
Posse Comitatus Act: A U.S. federal law restricting use of the Army and Air Force to enforce domestic civilian law. It marks a legal boundary between military roles and civilian law enforcement.
United States v. Toth: A 1955 U.S. Supreme Court case rejecting court-martial jurisdiction over a discharged former service member. The decision set constitutional limits on military trials of former service members.
Convening authority: A military commander authorized to refer charges to court-martial and exercise specified post-trial powers. Commanders influence whether cases proceed and how military trials are constituted.
Command responsibility: The legal and ethical duty of commanders to prevent, report, or punish certain wrongdoing. Military justice assigns commanders defined responsibilities for maintaining lawful conduct.

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