Media Release

Organisation: The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee

For release: 14 December 2017

Have your say on the Military Justice Legislation Amendment Bill

You have until Friday, 2 March 2018 to have your say on the Military Justice Legislation Amendment Bill. The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee is now inviting submissions on this bill.

The bill seeks to update the military justice system to align it with the criminal justice system. It would amend the Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971, the Court Martial Act 2007, and the Court Martial Appeals Act 1953.

The bill would make changes to:

• Victims’ rights in the military justice system

• The provisions determining a person’s fitness to stand trial in the military justice system

• Provide for the ability to object to a military member being assigned to a military court

• Provide that a substitute military member could not be appointed after the accused has entered a plea

• The onus of proof so that the onus would lie with the prosecution rather than the accused.

Tell the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee what you think

Send your submission on the bill by midnight on Friday, 2 March 2018.

For more details about the bill:

• Read the full content of the bill

• What’s been said in Parliament about the bill?

ENDS

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