Military Justice in the U.S. and France and the Adjudication of Sexual Offenses in Select Countries

Recent high-profile military-related cases involving sexual assaults by U.S. service members have resulted in increased public and congressional interest in military discipline and the military justice system. Questions have been raised regarding how allegations of sexual assault are addressed by the chain of command, the authority and process to convene a court-martial, and the ability of the convening authority to provide clemency to a service member convicted of an offense. Additionally, some military-related cases, including those of Major Nidal Hasan, the alleged shooter at Fort Hood, and Private first class Bradley Manning, the alleged source of leaked classified material through the organization WikiLeaks, have raised questions regarding the mental capacity of the accused and how the military justice system addresses this concern. This book focuses on the courts-martial, the military justice system, and the adjudication of sexual offenses.