Uniform Code Of Military Justice Essay

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The Uniform Code of Military justice (UCMJ) is a federal law, enacted by congress. It defines the military justice system and lists criminal offenses under military law (military). The president enacts rules by executive order known as Manual for Courts-Martial (MCM). The Manual for Court Martial details the rules and regulations for military court-martials and provides for maximum punishments for each military offense listed in the punitive articles of the UCMJ (Military). There is also a Non-Judicial Punishment, which consist of an article 15.
Non-judicial punishment consist of normally and article 15. It is the most common type of punishment in the military. Non-judicial punishment is often called mast in the Navy and Coast Guard, and office hours in the Marine Corps (military). In an article 15 hearing the commanding officer is the judge and jury. There are 3 grades of article 15’s. There is summarized, company grade and field grade. In summarized and company grade, any commander can carry out the punishment. The punishment for a summarized article 15 is extra duty for 14 days. With a company grade service members may lose 7 days of base pay or even be reduced one pay grade for E4 and below. For field grade the commander administering the article 15 must be a major in rank or higher. Punishment is (a.) extra duty for 45 …show more content…

Although, summary court martial are rare nowadays, they are similar to an article 15 punishment (non-judicial). Within a summary court martial only enlisted members may be tried; it can end in a federal conviction unlike an article 15. The summary court-martial can arbitrate minor offenses allegedly committed by enlisted service members. It can sentence maximum punishments of 30 days’ confinement; hard labor without confinement for 45 days; restriction to specified limits for 45 days; forfeiture of two thirds’ pay for one month; and reduction to the lowest pay grade

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