- Defense Institute of International Legal Studies
- DIILS PARTICIPANTS INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE SE...
DIILS PARTICIPANTS INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE SEXUAL MISCONDUCT IN MILITARY JUSTICE COURSE
An investigation specialist from the UN Office of Internal Oversight Service visited Newport to discuss how peacekeeping troop contributing countries can effectively gather evidence in cases of sexual misconduct in remote mission areas. Later, the 24 participants from 21 countries attending the DIILS Military Justice course prepared charges, questioned witnesses and made arguments as part of a mock trial demonstrating the prosecution of sexual assault crime.
The three-week Military Justice course offers a comprehensive overview of the U.S. military justice system and comparative analysis of other military justice systems. Topics include substantive and procedural due process, evidentiary practice, trial advocacy, non-judicial alternatives to courts martial, appeals, the role of judges and transparency. Participants were able to determine best practices in military justice based upon comparison of the U.S. and other military justice systems. They visited with U.S. military prosecutors, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C. and discussed military law with practitioners. Participants' course critiques offered the following highlights:
"The course focused on the most relevant knowledge every Military Judge, Prosecutor or legal adviser would need to accomplish his day-to-day duties."
"The course highlighted the importance of a good military judicial system to make order and discipline in any military system, and I think that USA is a very good example to learn about and that other countries should take USA as an example."
"I most appreciated the opportunity to interact with the actual players in the military justice system."
"The approach to the program is not to force a change in how things are done in other jurisdictions, but rather to compare and see how best practices could be incorporated in respective jurisdictions."
"Learning through case study was particularly effective, especially the preparation of direct examination and closing arguments."
"The course deepened our understanding about different legal systems in the world."