armed forces

British Indian Ocean Territory

Website of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration. BIOT, also known as the Chagos Archipelago, is a British overseas territory in the Indian Ocean. The site has information about the US-UK military base and the history and governance of the archipelago. It provides a few issues of the BIOT Official Gazette and has an Ordinances page that was under construction at the time of writing. There is also information about British government policy, environmental matters and scientific studies.

Service Prosecuting Authority

Official website of the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) the body formed following the merger of the Navy Prosecution Authority, Army Prosecuting Authority and Royal Air Force Prosecuting Authority in 2009. The role of the SPA is to prosecute appropriate cases at Court Martial or Service Civilian Court. The site provides background information on service law and the military criminal justice system. There is also biographical information on the Director of the SPA and recent press releases.

Office of the Judge Advocate General

Web page of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG) which forms part of the Ministry of Justice website. The OJAG deals with criminal trials of service men and women in the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force for serious offences and where defendants choose not to be dealt with by the Commanding Officer. Cases are heard in a Court Martial by a Judge Advocate. The site includes guidance on the Court Martial including proceedings and sentencing.

Military Court Service

The Military Court Service (MCS) is part of the Ministry of Defence providing a criminal court service for the Royal Navy (RN), Army and Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Court Martial, Summary Appeal Court (SAC) and Service Civilian Court (SCC). It maintains six staffed Military Court Centres. The site provides background information on the role, organisation and procedures of the MCS along with links to related resources including the Manual of Service Law and the Armed Forces Act 2006

Deepcut Review

The Deepcut review, headed by Sir Nicholas Blake QC, investigated the circumstances surrounding the deaths of four soldiers at Deepcut Army barracks between 1995-2002. This site contains the full text of the final report published as HC 795. The 500 page report covers such issues as recruitment and training in the army, bullying, the law relating to inquests, the investigation of the deaths by the military and civilian police.

War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Tribunal

Website of the First-tier Tribunal (War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation) which hears appeals relating to the schemes that provide compensation for injuries in the Armed Forces and from ex¹servicemen or women who have had their claims for a War Pension rejected by the Secretary of State for Defence. The site has forms and guidance to download explaining how to claim a war pension and how to appeal against decisions.

Geneva Conventions and Commentaries

Section of the International Committee of the Red Cross website devoted to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their protocols. The four Conventions are: Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field; Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea; Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War; and Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

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