Canadian Armed Forces welcomes new Judge Advocate General

June 19, 2023 – Defence Stories

Minister Anita Anand announced the appointment of Colonel Robin Holman as the next Judge Advocate General (JAG) for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Effective June 28, 2023, he will serve in this role for a term of four years and will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General.

As provided at sections 9.1 and 9.2 of the National Defence Act, the JAG is the legal advisor to the Governor General, the Minister of National Defence, the Department of National Defence, and the CAF in all matters relating to military law. The JAG also has the superintendence of the administration of military justice in the CAF.

Col Holman is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, (B.Eng.), Queen’s University (LL.B.) and McGill University (LL.M.), and joined the Office of the Judge Advocate General as a legal officer in February 2002. Colonel Holman has served as a military prosecutor, as a deployed legal officer and in a series of leadership roles within the Office of the JAG including Deputy JAG for Military Justice and Deputy JAG for Operational and International Law. He has served as the Acting Judge Advocate General since November 2021.

The appointment of the JAG is a Governor in Council appointment, made on the recommendation of the Minister of National Defence, under section 9 of the National Defence Act. The JAG holds this office for a term of up to four years.

Col Holman succeeds Rear-Admiral Geneviève Bernatchez in the role of JAG. RAdm Bernatchez, who was the first woman to be appointed as the JAG on June 28, 2017, will be retiring having completed 26 years of service as a Regular Force Legal officer.