Military Justice Reform Training for Commanding Officers with Court-Martial Convening Authority

1.  Article 137(c) of reference (a) requires that commanders receive periodic training regarding the purposes and administration of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Paragraph 0818 of reference (b) requires instruction concerning the UCMJ be included in command training and education programs.  In accordance with these requirements,  all commanders with general or special court-martial convening authority and other appropriate personnel shall receive training from their cognizant Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) on the changes to the military justice system imposed by references (c) through (e).
2.  References (c) through (e) implemented significant reforms to the military justice system, including the establishment of the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) that will be authorized to dispose of covered offenses after 27 December 2023.  All commanders and personnel performing military justice duties have an obligation to understand the reforms to the military justice system before they take effect on 27 December 2023.
3.  Commanders with general or special court-martial convening authority shall receive training on military justice reform conducted by their cognizant SJA no later than Tuesday, 26 December 2023.  To ensure the proper administrative processing of courts- martial and nonjudicial punishment proceedings, commanders with general or special court-martial convening authority shall ensure subordinate commanders who do not exercise court-martial convening authority, administrative personnel officers, unit legal personnel, and other non-44XX personnel involved in the military justice process receive training on military justice reform provided by the cognizant Staff Judge Advocate or Law Center Director no later than Tuesday, 26 December 2023.
4.  Training materials related to these military justice reforms are available at the following website: http:(slant)(slant)www.sja. marines.mil/44XX-Resources/Military-Justice/Military-Justice- References/.
5.  Staff Judge Advocates will report completion of training for all general and special court-martial convening authorities within their respective commands to Judge Advocate Division via the listed POC no later than Tuesday, 9 January 2024.
6.  Additional questions should be directed to the POC.
7.  Release authorized by Major General David J. Bligh, Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.