UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE Until   1951,   the   various   branches   of   our   armed forces   operated   under   different   military   codes.   The Army’s   Articles  of  War   guided  the  administration  of discipline  and  legal  processes  of  the  Army  and  Air Force.  The  Navy  was  guided  by  the   Articles  for  the Government of the Navy  (“Rocks and Shoals”), and the Coast  Guard,  by  the   Disciplinary  Laws  of  the  Coast Guard. Not surprisingly, an act considered an offense in the eyes of the Navy might not have been judged so in the Army. Even if an act was a breach of discipline in all branches   of   the   armed   forces,   the   type   of   trial   and severity of punishment awarded varied. A   standardized   code   of   military   justice   was recognized   as   a   logical   and   necessary   unification measure.   Secretary   of   Defense,   James   Forrestal, appointed   an   interservice   committee   to   study   the measure.   After   an   intensive   study,   the   committee drafted  what  is  now  known  as  the   Uniform  Code  of Military  Justice  (UCMJ).  The   UCMJ   was  passed  by Congress   on   5   May   1950,   signed   into   law   by   the President, and became effective 31 May 1951. The   Manual   for   Courts-Martial,   United   States, 1951  (MCM),  consolidated  and  standardized  military legal procedures. Effective 31 May 1951, the same date as   the   original    UCMJ,   the    MCM    became   the   new standard of military justice. Case decisions of the Court of   Military   Appeals   and   changes   in   courts-martial procedures have made necessary several changes to the original manual. The current edition is the  Manual for Courts-Martial, 1995 Edition. Congress and the Navy have taken steps to ensure you  will  know  the  disciplinary  laws  and  regulations most likely to affect your daily life. Article 137 of the UCMJ  states that certain articles of the Code must be explained carefully to every enlisted person at certain intervals. They must be explained— · at the time the person enters on active duty, · after 6 months of active duty, and · when the person reenlists. In   general,   these   articles   concern   the   following topics: Navy  Regulations   supplements  article  137  of  the UCMJ  by requiring each command to post the text of those  articles  in  the  preceding  list  in  a  conspicuous place. Navy Regs also requires each command to include these and other appropriate articles of Navy Regulations in   the   command’s   training   and   education   program. Copies   of   the   complete   UCMJ   (140   articles),   Navy Regulations,  and  other  general  orders  are  available  to any person who wants to read them. Excerpts from the  Uniform Code of Military Justice The purpose of this section is not to make you an expert on the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) but  to  give  you  an  overview  of  each  of  the  articles prescribed   by   article   137.   Those   articles   that   are 2-16 Article Subject 2 Persons subject to the Code 3 Jurisdiction to try certain persons even though they have been separated from the service 7-14 Apprehension and restraint 15 Nonjudicial punishment (captain’s mast) 25 Membership of courts-martial 27 Detail of trial and defense counsel 31 Compulsory self-incrimination prohibited 37 Unlawful influence on the court 38 Duties of counsel 55 Certain cruel and unusual punishments prohibited 77-134 Punitive articles 137 Articles that must be explained 138 Complaints of wrongs 139 Payment for injury or loss of property Student Notes :