Topline
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday that takes decision-making power in prosecutions of sexual violence, domestic abuse and extreme crimes like murder out of the military chain of command and into the recently formed Offices of Special Trial Counsel, a panel of independent military prosecutors, in an attempt at greater fairness in military prosecutions.
Key Facts
The White House in a statement said it hoped the order would promote uniform sentencing and evidence system in marital, rape, sexual assault and domestic abuse proceedings to ensure that decisions are fair and consistent.
Key Background
The Uniform Code of Military Justice was put into place in 1951 by an executive order issued by Harry S. Truman. Commanders were in charge of matters dealing with crimes and indiscretions of their own military personnel.
Tangent
In military academies, an estimated 21.4% of women and 4.4% of men say that they have had unwanted sexual experiences, according to a report by the Department of Defense. In the report, 59% of women and 72% reported that they didn’t trust the military system to treat them with respect if they were to report a sexual assault incident.
Chief Critics
When Congress considered the military reform bill in 2021, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.)and Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), both military veterans, argued against taking decision-making power out of the chain of command.
In military academies, 1 in 5 female students said they experienced sexual assault (NPR)
Biden to sign ‘historic’ executive order on how US military handles sexual assault cases (ABC News)
Sexual assaults in the US military increased by 1% last year (CNN)
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