Page 202 - Law of Peace, Volume ,
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Pam 27-161-1

            in any event an individual could not commit a military   sending State there would be no exclusive jurisdiction in
            offense by  violating  a treaty.  The  court cited  Over  the   the receiving State. The Grosso and Ekenstam cases dis-
            Top,  50 which held that the Federal criminal code cannot   cussed above in regard to Article I1 also have reference to
            be enlarged by  treaty. If it could then a Federal criminal   Article VII. They indicate the formulation of  a rule that
            law can be made without the participation of the House of   would prevent the expansion of Article 134, UCMJ, in a
            Representatives. Two years later in  United States v. Cur-   way that would change the effect of the exclusive jurisdic-
            tin, 51 the Court of  Military Appeals again held that the   tion provisions of Article W.It is doubtful if the exclusive
           Japanese  Administrative  Agreement  did  not  bind  in-   jurisdiction of the receiving State can be reduced through
            dividuals. The exact point has not been raised in regard to   the application of Article 134, UCMJ. On the other hand,
            the NATO SOFA. Ifit is raised and it is determined that   however, the practical result of  the loss of court-martial
            Article II, NATO SOFA, does bind individuals then the   jurisdiction  over  accompanying dependents and  civilian
           Court will be faced with its dictum in Ekenstam that such a   employees is to expand the scope of the exclusive jurisdic-
            violation of a treaty is not a violation of a Federal criminal   tion of the receiving State.
           law.                                                     (2) Concurrent Jurisdiction.
              d.  The Division of Jurisdictional Competence Between    (a) Primary Right in the Sending State or Receiv-
            the Sending and the Receiving State. The right to exercise   ing State. Having determined that an offense is subject to
           jurisdiction as between the receiving State and the sending   concurrent jurisdiction  (i.e.,  that  it  is  punishable  both
           State is governed by  the jurisdictional formula of Article   under  the  law  of  the  receiving  State  and  under  the
           W of  the  NATO  SOFA.  This  formula  characterizes
                                                                UCMJ), the question arises as to which State has the pri-
           offenses as being subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of   mary right to exercise jurisdiction. This determination is
           the  sending  State,  to  the  exclusive jurisdiction  of  the   governed  by  the jurisdictional  formula  of  Article  VII,
           receiving State, and to concurrent jurisdiction.
                                                                NATO SOFA, which provides that the receiving State has
                (I)  Exclusive Jurisdiction.                    the primary right to exercise jurisdiction over all concur-
                 (a) Exclusive  Jurisdiction  in  the  Sending  State.   rent jurisdiction offenses except those solely against the
           Most offenses over which the United States would have   properly or security of the sending State or solely against
           exclusive  jurisdiction  would  be  purely  military  type   the person or property of another member of the force or
           offenses,  such  as  AWOL,  desertion,  disrespect,  etc.   civilian component or of a dependent or those arising out of
           Offenses relating to security are treason, sabotage, and es-   any  act or  omission done  in  the  performance  of  official
           pionage against the United States, offenses with which the   duty. Problems which frequently arise in connection with
           receiving State is nor particularly concerned. The Krueger   concurrent jurisdiction are concerned with that portion of
           and Covert, 52 the Guaglirado and Bohlender, 53 and the   Article W which provides that the sending State has the
           Singleton 54 cases have restricted the exclusive jurisdiction   primary right in cases involving "offenses  arising out of
           of  the United  States as a sending State by  eliminating   any act or  omission done in the performance of  official
           dependents and U.S. civilian employees from the category   duty."  These  problems  fall  generally into  two  groups.
           of  "persons  subject to  the military law"  of  the United   First, there is the question as to  whether the particular
           States.                                              offense arose out of the performance of official duty, and,
                 (b) Exclusive Jurisdiction in the Receiving State. If   second, the question as to who has the right to make the
           Article 134, UCMJ, and Article 11,  NATO SOFA, were   final determination of  whether or not it arose out of  the
           construed  to  make any  act  which  is  punishable by  the   performance of  official duty. Initially, it should be noted
           receiving State also punishable by  the United States as a   that the phrase "performance  of official duty"  is not in-
                                                                tended to refer to a legal concept which is peculiar to one
                                                                particular nation. Consistent with United States policy of
              50.  5 F.2d 838 @.Corm. 1925).
              51.  9 U.S.C.M.A. 427,  26 C.M.R. 207  (1958). Judge Ferguson,   asserting jurisdiction over its personnel whenever possi-
           speaking for the majority stated:                    ble,  the  United  States military authorities construe this
              [w]e held in that case [EKENSTAM], that the Adminsitrative was   phrase broadly. In France, the United States successfully
             intended to defme the rights and obligations of the signatory govern-   maintained that travelmg to and from work  is the per-
             ments rather than to prescribe the conduct of individuals or organiza-   formance  of  official  duty.  On  the  other  hand,  Franqe
             tions subject to their authority and thus the specification failed to state
             the offense.                                       maintained that offenses requiring specific intent could not
           For other cases on the application of treaties directly to individuals, see   arise out of the performance of official duty. The Korean
           Jurisdiction Over the  Courts of Danzig,  [I9281 P.C.I.J. ser. B,  No. 15   Status of Forces Agreement 55 has attempted to delineate
           digested in  5  G. Hackworth, Digest  of International Law  171; United   more precisely the concept of "official duty"  as it is used
           States v. Rauscher, 119 U.S. 407 (1886); The Over the Top, 5 F.2d 838   in its jurisdictional formula. The Agreed Minutes Re Arti-
           (1925); United States v. Smigar, 6  U.S.C.M.A. 330,  29  C.M.R. 46
           (1955).                                              cle 22  provide:
              52.  354 U.S. 1  (1957).
              53.  361 U.S. 281  (1960).
              54.  KinseUa v. Singleton, 361 U.S. 234 (1960).      55.  [I9661 17 U.S.T. 1677, T.I.A.S. No. 6127.
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