Military Justice

As with the prior editions, the fourth edition of Military Justice: Cases and Materials offers a rich and up-to-the-minute collection of sources on an important subject. The internationally known authors stress the basics of the American military justice system, including the application of constitutional rights, the surprising and controversial scope of subject matter and personal jurisdiction of courts-martial, the role of commanders in the administration of military justice, military juries, and the recent dramatic changes Congress has adopted to increase public confidence in the military justice system, especially in light of continuing broad concern about sexual offenses in the armed forces. Timely topics such as the military death penalty, the persistent problem of unlawful command influence, professional responsibility, and judicial independence are explored, as are the Guantánamo military commissions and their historic antecedents. An important chapter focuses on summary proceedings, which account for the lion's share of American military justice but have historically received little attention. Another focuses on the avenues available for appellate and collateral review of courts-martial, including raising the important question of whether a specialized appellate court for military cases is warranted. Adding to the rich domestic materials, the fourth edition includes comparative materials from foreign jurisdictions that, like the United States, seek to balance the need for disciplined armed forces and the demands of justice. The authors have included the full text of the "Yale Draft" update of the draft UN Principles Governing the Administration of Justice Through Military Tribunals, so students can have a sense of how the American military justice system fares in light of contemporary human rights standards.