Position Papers & Letters
2025
2024
December 2024. Letter to Chief Judge, CMCR, recommending a rule change.
March 2024, NIMJ "Comment on OTP Environmental Crimes Policy," submitted to the Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court.
Update:
https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/2024-12/2024-12-18-OTP-Policy-Environmental-Crime.pdf
https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/icc-office-prosecutor-launches-second-public-consultation-policy-initiative-advance
"66 As the National Institute for Military Justice has pointed out, empirical studies have documented a variety of specific types of mental harm caused by environmental damage, such as ecological grief, environmental melancholia, and solastalgia. Ecological grief refers to “the grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems, and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change.” See, e.g., Cunsolo A. & Ellis, N.R, “Ecological Grief as a Mental Health Response to Climate Change-Related Loss,” Nature Climate Change, Vol. 8 (2018), 275. Environmental melancholia refers to “[t]he state of loss of relation with “nonhuman objects” in nature (e.g., rivers, fields, lakes, natural setting, etc.).” See, e.g., Cianconi, P, et al., “Eco-Emotions and Psychoterratic Syndromes: Reshaping Mental Health Assessment Under Climate Change,” Yale Journal of Biological Medicine, Vol. 96(2) (2023), 211-26. Solastalgia refers to “a sense of desolation, detachment and grieving in response to losing an important place which is similar to homesickness whilst one is still at home” that occurs “when people are confronted with irrevocable changes to landscapes that they feel connected to.” See, e.g., Albrecht G., et al., “Solastalgia: The Distress Caused by Environmental Change,” Australian Psychology, Vol. 15 (2007), 95-98."
https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/2024-12/2024-12-18-OTP-Policy-Environmental-Crime.pdf
https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/icc-office-prosecutor-launches-second-public-consultation-policy-initiative-advance
"66 As the National Institute for Military Justice has pointed out, empirical studies have documented a variety of specific types of mental harm caused by environmental damage, such as ecological grief, environmental melancholia, and solastalgia. Ecological grief refers to “the grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems, and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change.” See, e.g., Cunsolo A. & Ellis, N.R, “Ecological Grief as a Mental Health Response to Climate Change-Related Loss,” Nature Climate Change, Vol. 8 (2018), 275. Environmental melancholia refers to “[t]he state of loss of relation with “nonhuman objects” in nature (e.g., rivers, fields, lakes, natural setting, etc.).” See, e.g., Cianconi, P, et al., “Eco-Emotions and Psychoterratic Syndromes: Reshaping Mental Health Assessment Under Climate Change,” Yale Journal of Biological Medicine, Vol. 96(2) (2023), 211-26. Solastalgia refers to “a sense of desolation, detachment and grieving in response to losing an important place which is similar to homesickness whilst one is still at home” that occurs “when people are confronted with irrevocable changes to landscapes that they feel connected to.” See, e.g., Albrecht G., et al., “Solastalgia: The Distress Caused by Environmental Change,” Australian Psychology, Vol. 15 (2007), 95-98."
2022
November 28, 2022: statement on recent pardons for marijuana offenses.
August 1, 2022: written statement provided to DoD Internal Review Team on Racial Disparities in Military Justice.
August 2022, NIMJ recommended changes to UCMJ art. 31 and Mil. R. Evid. 305. Link to the changes here and a link to a Board approved discussion is here.
August 19, 2022, NIMJ letter to DoD General Counsel regarding the lack of transparency in court-martial proceedings.
February 22, 2022: NIMJ submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries.
2021
2020 and later
- 2003 NIMJ Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Manual for Courts Martial
- 2003 NIMJ Comments to MCM Changes on Joint Service Committee (JSC) Role
- 2003 Statement on Civilian Attorney Participation as Defense Counsel in Military Commissions
- 2005 NIMJ Letter to Senators Warner and Specter Advocating Hearings Prior to 2006 NDAA on Military Commission Review Provisions
- 2006 NIMJ Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Manual for Courts Martial
- 2008 NIMJ Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Manual for Courts Martial (MCM)
- 2009 NIMJ Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Manual for Courts Martial
- 2010 NIMJ Analysis of Model State Code of Military Justice and Model State Manual for Courts Martial for National Guard Units Under State Control
- 2010 NIMJ Comments to CAAF Proposed Rules of Practice, Rule 21b(5)(G)
- 2010 NIMJ Comments to CAAF Proposed Rules of Practice, Rule 30A(a)
- 2010 NIMJ Letter Advocating the Use of Formal Rule Making for the Manual for Military Commissions
- 2010 NIMJ Letter to DoD Press Operations Re Reporter Bar from Guantanamo Military Commissions
- 2010 NIMJ Press Release Calling for the Department of Defense to Use Formal Notice and Comment Rule Making for the 2010 Manual for Military Commissions
- 2010 NIMJ Press Release Criticizing Release of MCM Without Public Comment
- 2010 NIMJ Press Release Opposing DoD Inspector General Investigation of Military Commission Defense Attorneys
- 2014 NIMJ Letter Provding Recommendations to the Military Justice Review Group (MJRG)
- December 2004 NIMJ Comments to Proposed Changes to Manual for Courts Martial
- December 2015 NIMJ Letter Requesting the Military Justice Review Group Recommendations
- NIMJ Policy Statement 18 Dec 2018 Military Justice and Presidential Commentary.