Defense Advisory Committee Holds 37th Public Meeting on Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces

The preparatory materials are at this link.

Key Meeting Highlights:

1. Recommendations for Victims’ Rights Under Article 6b, UCMJ The Committee deliberated on proposed changes to enhance the enforcement of victims' rights under Article 6b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Notably, the proposed recommendations seek to allow victims to assert their rights more effectively at the trial court level, rather than having to immediately petition appellate courts. This change aims to ensure that victims' voices are heard earlier in the judicial process, potentially speeding up proceedings and reducing the burden on appellate courts.
2. Discussions on Military Installation Site Visits Members of the Committee reviewed insights from recent visits to military installations, discussing emerging issues and potential areas of study for future improvements. These site visits are part of an ongoing effort to gather feedback directly from service members and local military justice personnel to better understand the challenges and gaps in handling sexual assault cases on installations.
3. Report on Support Services for Accused Service Members The Committee reviewed a request from the Department of Defense General Counsel to analyze the support services available to service members accused of court-martial offenses. This request stems from concerns about balancing support for both victims and accused individuals within the military justice system.
4. Subcommittee Updates The meeting also included updates from the Special Projects and Case Review Subcommittees, both of which are actively examining key issues related to sexual assault cases. Their findings and recommendations are expected to be further discussed in the upcoming December meeting. 

Of most interest to practitioners

Policy Subcommittee’s Initial Draft Report on Enforcing Article 6b, UCMJ, Victims’ Rights (21 pages) − This draft report proposes 5 substantive recommendations and line-by-line edits to the text of Article 6b addressing the following issues:

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