Biden Signs Order To Reform US Military Policies On Sexual Assault Cases - White House

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th July, 2023) US President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Friday to reform the US military's policies and procedures in regards to sexual assault and other criminal cases, senior administrations told reporters.

Biden will sign an executive order to implement a reform to the US military's handling of sexual assault cases passed by Congress as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the senior administration officials said.

"This order will amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), transferring key decision-making authority from commanders to specialized, independent military prosecutors in cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, murder and other serious crimes," one of the officials said.

The measure required the US military Service Secretaries to establish an Office of Special Trial Counsel and a Lead Special Trial Counsel independent from the chains of command of both accusers and the accused.

The Pentagon is currently working to staff its Offices of Special Trial Counsel, which is expected to launch by December of this year, an official said.

The reform represents the "most significant transformation" of the US military justice system since the UCMJ was founded, an official also said.

The order establishes the rules that will govern the Offices of Special Trial Counsel, defines authorized interactions between special trial counsel and commanders, modernizes procedures to protect victims and creates a uniform evidence standard for non-judicial punishment actions, the administration said in a fact sheet.

The reforms are a "turning point" for survivors of gender-based violence in the US military, the fact sheet said. The reforms promote dignity and respect for servicemembers by protecting them and making the military a safe and more just environment, the fact sheet said.