Updates to the Military Justice at the Unit Level Policy and Military Justice System Time Standards

May 6, 2024 – Defence Stories

Building on its commitment to modernize the military justice system (MJS), the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has updated the Military Justice at the Unit Level (MJUL) Policy and revised the Military Justice System Time Standards (MJSTS). Combined, these changes provide further guidance for those who administer military justice at the unit level, and clarification to and safeguards for those who proceed through the MJS.

Through review and evaluation of the administration of military justice at the unit level, including extensive DND/CAF consultation, the CAF has published MJUL Policy 2.0 on Canada.ca.

Highlights include:

• Annexes and an appendix for specific audiences – whether they are appropriate military justice authorities, victims, assisting members or persons affected by a service infraction. Users can “print and pull” these as needed;
• A requirement that assisting members take the Military Justice at the Unit Level Training (MJUL Training), unless the person charged with a service infraction has been informed of and accepts their lack of training and certification. The MJUL Training is available on DLN 3.0;
• Guidance for officers conducting summary hearings on determining appropriate sanctions and writing reasons; and
• Graphics of relevant timelines for reviews of summary hearing findings and/or sanctions.

The MJSTS have been revised to correlate with changes from An Act to Amend the National Defence Act and to Make Related and Consequential Amendments to Other Acts (formerly Bill C-77). They replace those communicated in CANFORGEN – 23/20 Introduction of Time Standards in the Military Justice System (accessible only on the National Defence network), which were introduced in response to a recommendation of the Office of the Auditor General Report on the Administration of Justice in the Canadian Armed Forces, tabled in Parliament in May 2018.

The MJSTS set out the maximum amount of time, in calendar days, to complete a task in the MJS. Defining the duration of time allocated to MJS tasks increases accountability among participants–outlining their rights and obligations in the process–and, in turn, strengthens the efficiency of administering military justice.

CANFORGEN 55/24 AMENDMENT TO THE MILITARY JUSTICE SYSTEM TIME STANDARDS (accessible only on the National Defence network) officially announces that the updated MJSTS have been implemented, and CANFORGEN 048/24 MILITARY JUSTICE AT THE UNIT LEVEL POLICY UPDATES (accessible only on the National Defence network) officially announces the publication of MJUL Policy 2.0.

For clarification and guidance on MJUL Policy 2.0, the MJUL Training, or the MJSTS, please reach out to your chain of command.

Additional information

National Defence Act, Division 5 – Summary Hearings

QR&O – Chapter 120, Service infractions

QR&O – Chapter 122, Summary Hearings

Message from the CDS/AJAG: Victims’ Rights and Summary Hearing Implementation

New Military Justice – Unit Level course now available on DLN 3.0