Judge Advocate General

Judge Advocate-General is the adviser of the Crown in reference to courts-martial and other matters of military law. He is generally a member of the House of Commons, and of the Government for the time being. He sometimes acts by deputy duly appointed. The duties of an officiating judge-advocate at a court-martial are to provide accommodation for the court, to administer the oath to the members of the court and the witnesses, to make a minute of the proceedings, and to advise the court on points of law, of custom, and of form, and so far to assist the prisoner as to elicit a full statement of the facts material to the defence. The proceedings of general courts-martial held both at home and abroad are transmitted by the officiating judge-advocate to the judge advocate-general, to be laid before the Crown with a statement by the officiating judge-advocate of any circumstances which, in his opinion, may affect the validity of the decision. In the navy, when a court-martial has been ordered, the person nominated president appoints an officiating judge-advocate or his deputy, and the proceedings are nearly the same as in a military court-martial.