What happens at the end of a Court-Martial?
A. At the conclusion of a trial the Judge Advocate sums up the case in the same way as a Judge would in the Crown Court including making directions on matters of law. The members of the court-martial then retire, without the Judge Advocate, to decide on their verdicts. They are required to return verdicts using the usual criminal standard of proof (i.e. beyond reasonable doubt) and their verdicts are by simple majority. Their vote and opinion are entirely confidential. If the verdict is not guilty the accused is free to go. If the verdict is guilty the members of the court, including the Judge Advocate, retire to consider sentence. The sentence takes effect immediately upon announcement by the court. Thereafter an accused may submit a petition to the reviewing authority and an appeal to the Court-Martial Appeal Court. The Court-Martial Appeal Court is made up of Judges of the Court of Appeal sitting in the Royal Courts of Justice. 6. Are Courts-Martial human rights compliant? A. The Ar
