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AGC JOURNAL 2016

Directorate of

Army Legal Services

By Major Jennifer Agnew

As the Army continues to the Falkland Islands, an exercise in
to evolve through Kenya and a visit to the US Marine Corps
in the USA.
restructuring and meets
increasing numbers of Sport
overseas commitments, the
requirement for legal support Our contribution to sport continues with
participation in a number of sports across
continues to develop. the Corps, Army and Tri-Service teams
In the last year, under the including Brigadier Alex Taylor playing
hockey for the England Masters Team in
direction of Major General Army Legal Services Conference June 2016. the Hockey World Cup in Australia. An
Susan Ridge, Director Army legal academics and professionals were article appears later in the magazine.
Legal Services, the Army’s invited to attend and speak during the
lawyers have continued to two day event. The professional training Legal Advisory
support operations and included a meeting of heads of allied Legal Advisory Branch has maintained its
military legal services. On conclusion of
training and to ensure that the second day, the Director and serving commitment to supporting the resolution
casework at all levels receives officers held a regimental dinner night of complaints at all levels of the chain of
hosting key figures from across the military
command, by allocating some significant
appropriate and expeditious and legal fields in the UK and the military legal officer horsepower to advise in the
legal advice. legal Heads from allied nations. The Hon cases allocated to Service Complaints
Mr Justice Nugee was the legal keynote Panels and the Army Board. It has also
speaker and the principal military guests continued its campaign alongside the
Allied Military Legal Services were Lieutenant General James Bashall other discipline branches to eliminate
CBE and Lieutenant General Richard delay at all stages of the disciplinary
During the last 12 months, we have Nugee CBE. processes.
continued to forge and develop relations
with allied military legal services including Elsewhere in the world of discipline,
attendance by Major General Susan Ridge Commanding Officers have been getting
at the United States Naval War College to grips with the new Armed Forces
‘Conflict in Syria’ Conference in Rhode Victims’ Code, and have been guided by
Island, USA, the International Red Cross their Legal Advisory offices on some of
and Red Crescent Conference in Geneva the complexities, such as jurisdiction and
and The Judge Advocate General and the referral of cases to the Service Police
Fugh Symposium on Hybrid Warfare, in and Service Prosecution Authority. Spring
Charlottesville, Virginia USA. In June 2016, 2016 heralded the Armed Forces Act 2015,
Brigadier Juliet Bartlett (Head Operational which introduced a variety of changes
Law) supported the International Society Major General Susan Ridge, and developments to the Armed Forces Act
for Military Law and the Law of War at and Lieutenant General Flora Darpino 2006. These, and the constantly evolving
their conference at the University of Exeter. demands placed on Commanding Officers
New Intake in their disciplinary role have fostered a
Annual Conference This year saw an intake of six new refreshment of the legal advisory aspects
of the Commanding Officers’ Designate
officers. Following the completion of Course and of the All Arms Adjutants
In the first week of June 2016, we hosted the Professionally Qualified Officers’ Course.
the annual conference and professional Commissioning Course at Sandhurst, they
training at the Defence Academy of the departed on their three month combat arm Employment law specialists have
United Kingdom, Shrivenham. Leading attachments, which included a deployment continued to advise on the MOD’s

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