Executive Order on 2023 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States

Executive Order

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. 801-946a), and in order to prescribe additions and amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, prescribed by Executive Order 12473 of April 13, 1984, as amended, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, are amended as described in Annex 1, which is attached to and made a part of this order. The amendments in Annex 1 shall take effect on the date of this order, subject to the following:

(a) Nothing in Annex 1 shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the date of this order that was not punishable when committed or omitted.

(b) Nothing in Annex 1 shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the date of this order, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if the Annex 1 amendments had not been prescribed.

Sec. 2. Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, and Appendix 12A of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, are amended as described in Annex 2, which is attached to and made a part of this order. The amendments in Annex 2 shall apply in accordance with the effective date established by section 539C of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (NDAA FY 2022), Public Law 117-81, subject to the following:

(a) Nothing in Annex 2 shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the effective date established by section 539C of the NDAA FY 2022.

(b) Nothing in Annex 2 shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the effective date established by section 539C of the NDAA FY 2022, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if the Annex 2 amendments had not been prescribed.

Sec. 3. Appendix 12B, Appendix 12C, and Appendix 12D are added to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, and Part II of the Manual is amended as described in Annex 3, which is attached to and made a part of this order. The additions and amendments in Annex 3 shall take effect on December 27, 2023, and shall apply in accordance with section 539E(f) of the NDAA FY 2022 (10 U.S.C. 853 note), subject to the following:

(a) Nothing in Annex 3 shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the effective date established by section 539E(f) of the NDAA FY 2022.

(b) Nothing in Annex 3 shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the effective date established by section 539E(f) of the NDAA FY 2022, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if the Annex 3 amendments had not been prescribed.

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