ARmy Rumour SErvice

**DangerMouse** · 02-01-2013, 22:56

Originally Posted by The Times

Human rights raised in army memo

Deborah Haynes, Defence Editor - The Times
The Times, 3 January, 2013.

An army lawyer has expressed doubts about the military’s handling of complaints against disciplinary procedures and questioned whether they comply with human rights law.

An internal document seen by The Times was written in November by the Army’s personnel department to prepare Lieutenant-General Gerry Berragan, the Adjutant-General, for a dinner with a group of MPs.

The note referred to two cases that challenged the fairness of the Army’s system of internal justice and redress — one involving a former member of the Territorial Army that was heard by the European Court of Human Rights in 2009 and another involving an Army Chaplain that was heard by the High Court in 2011.

The document said that it would be wrong to state that Article 6 (of the European Convention on Human Rights) did not apply to the Army’s internal sanctions regime, one rung in a system of military justice that was equivalent to a private employer’s internal disciplinary procedure.

Article 6 outlines the right to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal.
Major Ross McLeod, whose brother was the subject of administrative action, alleged in a written submission to the Defence Select Committee last year that the Army’s internal sanctions regime was “a bullies’ charter”.

Only soldiers with grievances that relate to gender-based discrimination, discrimination about sexuality or racial discrimination have the right to access an employment tribunal.

John MacKenzie, a former lawyer who spent decades representing military personnel in disputes against the Government, believes that all criminal jurisdiction should be taken away from the Armed Forces.

He was particularly critical of the summary hearing system for military or criminal offences. The closed-door process in which the commanding officer acts as prosecutor and judge can result in a criminal record. A person has a right to appeal against the ruling and also has the option of going for a full Court Martial, which the military argues makes the system compliant to human rights laws.

Mr MacKenzie disagrees. “The summary justice system is still clearly in breach of Article 6,” he said.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman defended the summary hearing system and said that personnel had a right to appeal within 14 days."

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/u...cle3646585.ece

Army General and Administrative Instructions, Chapter 67, known as ‘AGAI 67’ is the Army’s internal sanctions regime. AGAI 67 allows the Army to take action against personnel if, in the opinion of the deciding officer, they have breached the Service Test: ‘Have the actions or behaviour of an individual adversely impacted or are they likely to impact on the efficiency or operational effectiveness of the Service?’, for the purposes of which operational effectiveness is defined as ‘the ability of a unit or formation to function as a cohesive force to perform the operations, missions or actions for which it is organised or designed’. In plain English, the Service Test simply says ‘Is this - in my opinion - bad for the Army?’ – a very wide margin for personal opinions and morals. The dangers inherent in this approach are obvious: it confers upon the chain of command almost complete discretion, including absolute power on in decisions such as:

a. Whether to permit service personnel to challenge the evidence against them in an oral hearing, with no appeal against a refusal to hold an oral hearing.
b. Power over the conduct of oral hearings, with no appeal against procedural decisions made within such hearings.
c. Decisions whether to admit and exclude evidence, with no appeal against unfair decisions.
d. Whether to permit or deny legal representation, with no appeal against unreasonable refusal.
e. Whether to permit or deny testimony from defence witnesses, with no appeal if critical witnesses are blocked.
f. Power to control cross-examination, including total discretion on banning inconvenient questions from assisting officers (or legal representatives, if permitted).
f. Absolute power to protect favoured colleagues, by preventing them from being called as witnesses, and/or being subjected to unwanted questioning – with no appeal if senior officers prevent other senior officers from being embarrassed.
g. Power to dismiss service personnel.

It is almost unique, nothing of the kind exists in the civilian world: except in fiction...

In his famous book The Trial, Franz Kafka wrote about fictional investigation subject "K", who was put in a predicament eerily similar to that of service personnel subjected to Major Administrative Action:

K should not forget that the trial would not be public.... the accused and his defence don't have access even to the court records... that means we generally don't know - or at least not precisely - what the first documents need to be about, which means that if they do contain anything of relevance to the case it's only by a lucky coincidence. If anything about the individual charges and the reasons for them comes out clearly or can be guessed at while the accused is being questioned, then it's possible to work out and submit documents that really direct the issue and present proof, but not before. Conditions like this, of course, place the defence in a very unfavourable and difficult position. But that is what they intend. In fact, defence is not really allowed under the law, it's only tolerated, and there is even some dispute about whether the relevant parts of the law imply even that. So strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a counsel acknowledged by the court, and anyone who comes before this court as counsel is basically no more than a barrack room lawyer.

...they were all agreed on one thing, and that was that when ill thought-out accusations are made they are not ignored, and that once the court has made an accusation it is convinced of the guilt of the defendant and it's very hard to make it think otherwise." "Very hard?" the painter asked, throwing one hand up in the air. "It's impossible"

Franz Kafka, The Trial (London: Gollancz, 1937), first English edition.

Interestingly, the RN and RAF don't use AGAI 67 Major AGAI Action. All three services are governed by Joint Services Publication (JSP) 833, Minor Administrative Action, but Army General and Administrative Instructions No. 67 (AGAI 67), which includes Major Administrative Action, is unique to the Army, and only Army personnel are subjected to it. This is because, according to an ALS conference in 2008, the RN and RAF refused to adopt Major Administrative Action because they thought it was unlawful. Seems that the Army knew that all along, but thought it could get away with it. How depressing.

What are people's experiences of AGAI 67?

**CRmeansCeilingReached** · 02-01-2013, 22:57

fucking hell, another thread?

**Joe_Private** · 02-01-2013, 23:06

Looks like Mod_RSS has some real competition.

**ACAB** · 02-01-2013, 23:10

The report is from Jan 2012. That's a year ago? And you have posted multiple threads? Are you a 'Delayed Action' Mong?

**EScotia** · 02-01-2013, 23:37

Manual of Service Law:

JSP 830 Manual of Service Law
Index
Page
Index i
Record of amendments iii
Glossary iv
Terms used in Volumes 1 and 2 v
Abbreviations vii
Equivalent Service ranks/rates xi
Volume 1 – Service discipline guide 1-1-1
Chapter 1 Introduction 1-1-1
Chapter 2 Meaning of commanding officer 1-2-1
Chapter 3 Jurisdiction and time limits 1-3-1
Chapter 4 Arrest and search, stop and search, entry search and seizure and retention 1-4-1
Chapter 5 Custody 1-5-1
Chapter 6 Investigation, charging and mode of trial 1-6-1
Chapter 7 Non-criminal conduct (disciplinary) offences 1-7-1
Chapter 8 Criminal conduct offences 1-8-1
Chapter 9 Summary hearing and activation of suspended sentences 1-9-1 of Service detention
Chapter 10 Absence and desertion 1-10-1
Chapter 11 Summary hearing - dealing with evidence 1-11-1
Chapter 12 Defences, mitigation and criminal responsibility 1-12-1
Chapter 13 Summary hearing sentencing and punishments 1-13-1
Chapter 14 The summary hearing sentencing guide 1-14-1
Chapter 15 Summary hearing review and appeal 1-15-1
Chapter 16 Financial penalty enforcement orders 1-16-1
Chapter 17 Naval chaplains 1-17-1
Chapter 18 Terms and conditions of enlistment and service 1-18-1
Chapter 19 Service of process 1-19-1
Chapter 20 Forfeitures and deductions 1-20-1
Chapter 21 Compulsory drug testing (CDT) and post incident drug 1-21-1 and alcohol testing (PIDAT)
Chapter 22 Powers of officers to take affidavits and declarations 1-22-1
Chapter 23 Exemption from tolls and charges 1-23-1
Chapter 24 Redress of individual grievances: Service complaints 1-24-1
Chapter 25 Service inquiries 1-25-1
Chapter 26 Safeguarding children: Armed forces child protection Powers 1-26-1
Volume 2 – The Service Courts guide 2-27-1
Chapter 27 The Summary Appeal Court 2-27-1
Chapter 28 Court Martial constitution and roles 2-28-1
Chapter 29 Court Martial proceedings 2-29-1
Chapter 30 Sentencing principles, powers and effects 2-30-1
Chapter 31 Court Martial appeal 2-31-1
Chapter 32 Service Civilian Courts 2-32-1
Chapter 33 Contempt of Service courts 2-33-1
Chapter 34 Compensation for miscarriage of justice 2-34-1
Chapter 35 The powers of the Criminal Cases Review Commission 2-35-1
Volume 3 – Legal compendium 3-36-1
Chapter 36 Current MOD Primary Legislation 3-36-1
Chapter 37 Armed Forces Act 2006 Statutory Instruments and Defence Council Regulations 3-37-1
Chapter 38 Armed Forces Act 2006 Alignment, Commencement and Continuation Orders 3-38-1
Chapter 39 Other Armed Forces Secondary Legislation 3-39-1
Chapter 40 Jurisdiction of Service Courts 3-40-1
Chapter 41 MOD and Armed Forces Constitutional Legislation and Letters Patent 3-41-1
Chapter 42 Case Law Citations 3-42-1
Chapter 43 Judge Advocate General Letters Patent and Guidance 3-43-1
Chapter 44 Miscellaneous 3-44-1 Outline histories of Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force law.
Defence Council Authorisations and Appointments
Joint authorisation higher authorities

**EScotia** · 02-01-2013, 23:41

JSP 831
Redress of Individual Grievances:
Service Complaints

CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION...................................... .................................................. ........1
SCOPE............................................. .................................................. ........................................1
LEGAL BASIS............................................. .................................................. .............................1
TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS...................................... .................................................. ..1
PRINCIPLES........................................ .................................................. ....................................2
Resolution........................................ .................................................. .............................2
Justice........................................... .................................................. ...............................2
Investigation..................................... .................................................. ............................2
Information and Disclosure........................................ .................................................. ...2
Delay............................................. .................................................. ...............................3
Standard of Proof............................................. .................................................. ............3
Malicious or Vexatious Complaints........................................ .........................................3
KEY FEATURES OF SERVICE COMPLAINTS PROCESS........................................... ...........3
General........................................... .................................................. ..............................3
Levels............................................ .................................................. ...............................4
Secretariat....................................... .................................................. .............................4
The Service Complaint Panel (SCP)............................................. .................................4
Independence...................................... .................................................. .........................4
Service Complaints Commissioner (SCC)............................................. .........................5
Service Complaint Form.............................................. .................................................. .6
Joint Personnel Administration (JPA)............................................. ................................6
Reference to the Sovereign......................................... .................................................. .6
CHAPTER 2 - SUBMITTING A SERVICE COMPLAINT......................................... ...................7
GENERAL........................................... .................................................. .....................................7
Informal and Service Complaints........................................ ............................................7
Method of Submitting a Service Complaint......................................... ...........................7
Time Limits for Stating a Service Complaint......................................... ..........................7
Complaints Made Outside the Time Limits............................................ .........................8
Service Personnel Assigned or Attached to another Unit or Service.............................9
Service Personnel Serving Outside Service Command........................................... ......9
Complaints Made After Leaving the Armed Forces............................................ ............9
Employment Tribunals (ET).............................................. ..............................................9
COMPLETING A COMPLAINT FORM.............................................. .......................................10
Service Complaint Form.............................................. .................................................1 0
Purpose........................................... .................................................. ...........................10
Assistance to Complainant....................................... .................................................. ..11
ALLEGATIONS BY THIRD PARTIES........................................... ...........................................11
BULLYING OR HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS........................................ ...............................12
DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS........................................ .................................................. .12
MEDICAL COMPLAINTS........................................ .................................................. ...............12
PAY AND ALLOWANCE COMPLAINTS........................................ ..........................................13
Pay Complaints Process........................................... .................................................. .13
Pay Complaints Dealt With by a SCP............................................... ............................14
COMPLAINTS ABOUT APPRAISAL REPORTS........................................... ..........................14
Process........................................... .................................................. ............................14
Expunged Comment........................................... .................................................. ........14
EXCLUDED COMPLAINTS........................................ .................................................. ...........14
Categories of Excluded Complaints........................................ .....................................14
Redress which cannot be granted........................................... .....................................15
CHAPTER 3 - LEVEL 1: THE COMMANDING OFFICER........................................... ............16
THE COMMANDING OFFICER (CO).............................................. ........................................16
Definition........................................ .................................................. .............................16
JSP 831 v2.2 – 07062010 ii
Service Complaints in which the CO is Implicated........................................ ...............16
PRE-DECISION PROCEDURES........................................ .................................................. ...16
Receiving an Allegation from the SCC............................................... ..........................16
Receiving a Service Complaint from a Complainant....................................... .............17
Additional Matters of Complaint......................................... ...........................................19
Malicious or Vexatious Complaints........................................ .......................................19
Timeframe for CO’s Consideration..................................... ..........................................19
Investigating the Complaint......................................... .................................................2 0
Disclosure........................................ .................................................. ...........................20
DECISION – DECIDING THE COMPLAINT......................................... ...................................20
POST-DECISION PROCEDURES........................................ .................................................. .21
Notification to Parties........................................... .................................................. .......21
Response by the Complainant....................................... ..............................................22
Complaints Papers............................................ .................................................. .........22
Actions on JPA............................................... .................................................. ............23
Reports to the Service Complaints Commissioner (SCC)............................................2 3
CHAPTER 4 - LEVEL 2: THE SUPERIOR OFFICER........................................... ...................24
THE SUPERIOR OFFICER (SO).............................................. ...............................................24
Definition........................................ .................................................. .............................24
When the SO is Implicated in the Complaint......................................... .......................24
PRE-DECISION PROCEDURES........................................ .................................................. ...24
Receiving the Complaint......................................... .................................................. ....24
Additional Matters of Complaint......................................... ...........................................24
Malicious or Vexatious Complaints........................................ .......................................24
Timeframe for SO’s Consideration..................................... ..........................................25
Investigating and Referring the Complaint......................................... ..........................25
Disclosure........................................ .................................................. ...........................25
DECISION – DECIDING THE COMPLAINT......................................... ...................................25
POST-DECISION PROCEDURES........................................ .................................................. .26
Notification to Parties........................................... .................................................. .......26
Response by the Complainant....................................... ..............................................27
Referring the Complaint......................................... .................................................. .....27
Actions on JPA............................................... .................................................. ............27
Reports to the Service Complaints Commissioner...................................... .................27
CHAPTER 5 – LEVEL 3: THE DEFENCE COUNCIL........................................... ...................29
GENERAL........................................... .................................................. ...................................29
Introduction...................................... .................................................. ...........................29
Non Delegation........................................ .................................................. ...................29
SINGLE SERVICE BOARD............................................. .................................................. .......29
Composition....................................... .................................................. .........................30
Retained Complaints........................................ .................................................. ..........30
Delegated Complaints........................................ .................................................. ........30
THE SERVICE COMPLAINTS PANEL............................................. .......................................30
Powers............................................ .................................................. ............................30
Composition of Service Complaints Panel............................................. ......................31
Excluded Members........................................... .................................................. ..........31
Independent Member............................................ .................................................. .....31
Selection......................................... .................................................. ............................32
FUNCTION OF A SERVICE COMPLAINT PANEL............................................. .....................32
Meeting........................................... .................................................. ............................32
Decisions......................................... .................................................. ...........................32
Legal Advice............................................ .................................................. ...................32
PRE-DECISION PROCEDURES........................................ .................................................. ...33
Receiving the Complaint......................................... .................................................. ....33
Complaints Papers............................................ .................................................. .........33
JSP 831 v2.2 – 07062010 iii
Investigating the Complaint......................................... .................................................3 3
Disclosure........................................ .................................................. ...........................33
Malicious or Vexatious complaints........................................ .......................................33
ORAL HEARINGS.......................................... .................................................. ........................34
DECISION – DECIDING THE COMPLAINT......................................... ...................................34
POST DECISION PROCEDURES........................................ .................................................. .34
Notification to Parties........................................... .................................................. .......34
Timeframe for Defence Council Consideration..................................... ........................35
Report by the Service Complaints Panel............................................. .........................35
REFERENCE OF COMPLAINT TO THE SOVEREIGN......................................... ..................35
Reference......................................... .................................................. ..........................35
REPORTING......................................... .................................................. .................................35
Actions on JPA............................................... .................................................. ............35
Reports to the Service Complaints Commissioner...................................... .................35
CHAPTER 6 - THE SECRETARIAT....................................... .................................................. 37
THE SECRETARIAT....................................... .................................................. .......................37
CENTRAL SECRETARIAT....................................... .................................................. .............37
Tasks............................................. .................................................. .............................37
SINGLE SERVICE SECRETARIAT....................................... .................................................. 38
Tasks............................................. .................................................. .............................38
Independent Members of SCPs.............................................. .....................................39
CONTACT WITH THE SERVICE COMPLAINTS COMMISSIONER...................................... .39
Point of Contact........................................... .................................................. ...............39
Power to Refer............................................. .................................................. ...............39
RECORDING COMPLAINTS........................................ .................................................. .........39
Recording Service Complaints on JPA............................................... ..........................40
CHAPTER 7 - THE SERVICE COMPLAINTS COMMISSIONER (SCC).................................41
INTRODUCTION...................................... .................................................. ..............................41
Role.............................................. .................................................. ..............................41
TERMS OF REFERENCE......................................... .................................................. .............41
Status............................................ .................................................. .............................41
Point of Contact........................................... .................................................. ...............41
Statutory Powers............................................ .................................................. ............42
Annual Report............................................ .................................................. .................42
Data Control........................................... .................................................. ....................42
Submitting Allegations to the SCC............................................... ................................42
SCC REFERRED ALLEGATIONS....................................... .................................................. ..43
Receiving an Allegation........................................ .................................................. ......43
Notification of Complaints........................................ .................................................. ...43
Other Allegations....................................... .................................................. .................43
ANNEX A................................................. .................................................. ...................................
ANNEX B................................................. .................................................. ...................................
ANNEX C................................................. .................................................. ..................................
ANNEX D................................................. .................................................. ..................................
ANNEX E................................................. .................................................. ...................................
ANNEX F................................................. .................................................. ...................................
ANNEX G................................................. .................................................. ..................................
ANNEX H................................................. .................................................. ..................................
ANNEX I................................................. .................................................. ....................................
ANNEX J................................................. .................................................. ...................................
ANNEX K................................................. .................................................. ...................................

**DangerMouse** · 02-01-2013, 23:43

Originally Posted by CRmeansCeilingReached

fucking hell, another thread?

I'm just putting the different stories came through my RSS feed up as separate topics. If, as CamNostos perspicaciously observes, this ' is the thin end of a very large wedge., rightly or wrongly, then dumping every vaguely related story in to a single thread would cause chaos, no? We may as well have one hugmungous thread on ARRSE called "Army stuff".

Happy to be corrected, though: Bad CO can always aggregate the threads. Easier to merge stuff than have to separate it, I thought. Apologies if I'm wrong!

Re. the date, no it's just appeared in my RSS feed now - I'm a mong and copied the date wrongly (it didn't come across from the Times website properly). Apologies for the confusion!

**Pyianno** · 03-01-2013, 00:51

The Summary Hearing system seems to me to serve a legitimate purpose. There is a need for enforcement of laws and discipline, even in (for example) a submarine where simply choosing to hold a full court martial is not always feasible. So long as safeguards are in place and an effective right of appeal to an impartial tribunal exist, I do not see what the fuss is about.

**DangerMouse** · 03-01-2013, 01:01

Originally Posted by Pyianno

The Summary Hearing system seems to me to serve a legitimate purpose. There is a need for enforcement of laws and discipline, even in (for example) a submarine where simply choosing to hold a full court martial is not always feasible. So long as safeguards are in place and an effective right of appeal to an impartial tribunal exist, I do not see what the fuss is about. (my emphases)

Exactly - I agree with you wholeheartedly; who wouldn't? I have conducted Summary Hearings as a squadron commander myself, and I would like to think that I behaved properly. I was, however, conscious, that I could have got away with an awful lot if I was biased or dishonest. But can we rely on People Like Us being 'good chaps'? The longer I serve, the less confident I am...

Originally Posted by This is how easily it can go wrong

On 18 Sep 10, Fijian Lance Corporal Isimeli "Bale" Baleiwai, a soldier with an exemplary military record, was involved in a minor fight, in which he acted in self-defence. He was prosecuted and convicted by his CO in a ‘Summary Hearing’. LCpl Baleiwai voluntarily left the Army in 2012, and applied for UK citizenship. This was rejected by the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) on 28 Jun 12 on the basis of his Summary Hearing conviction. That Summary Hearing:

- Was a one-man tribunal which vested in an Army officer lacking any legal training, qualifications or experience, the power to impose criminal convictions, including imprisonment.

- Denied LCpl Baleiwai publicly-funded legal advice, and prohibited legal representation at the Summary Hearing.

- Misled LCpl Baleiwai in to pleading guilty by concealing the magnitude of the charge, and the impact of a criminal conviction, leading him to believe it was an internal military disciplinary matter. It was not: it was a criminal conviction: identical to that imposed by magistrates’ or crown courts. Information released by the MOD later revealed that Army commanders did not themselves understand the law, or the implications of a conviction.

- Suppressed LCpl Baleiwai’s profound disagreements with the prosecution case, his conviction and his sentence, because he found the process severely intimidating, did not understand it, and he was implicitly pressured not to challenge his CO (who was both prosecuting and judging him).

- Was conducted on 31 Mar 11, after a six and a half month delay, demonstrating that assertions that Summary Hearings are a ‘fast and fair’ system fail on both counts.

- Was conducted in secret, within LCpl Baleiwai’s regiment, by his chain of command. There was no transparency or accountability, or access for lawyers, the public, or media.

- Failed to disclose information required for LCpl Baleiwai’s defence on time, if at all, or to present it in a decipherable way.

- Denied LCpl Baleiwai any assistance to present his defence or mitigation.

- Ignored witness statements that LCpl Baleiwai acted in self-defence.

- Ignored medical evidence that the alleged victim was not in fact significantly injured.

- LCpl Baleiwai only admitted the charge because he thought he was admitting that he was in a fight in which he acted purely in self defence. He did not understand that he was admitting to a criminal charge. The Summary Hearing system specifically denied him access to a publicly-funded lawyer who, in the case of a civilian, would have explained this.

- After conviction, the Unit Welfare Officer, an experienced captain, claimed that the CO’s decision was final – concealing the right to appeal, and thus rendering it nugatory.

If it wasn't for the sterling efforts of Kim Baleiwai, his wife, to write an amazing piece of legal staffwork and single-handedly secure an out-of-time appeal one and a half years after his wrongful conviction, their entire family would have had to leave the country. That frightens me - we shoudn't rely on soldiers having intelligent, confident, articulate graduate wives who are capable of identifying legal issues, staffing them to the court almost two years after the event, and only narrowly saving their family's future. That's why I'm concerned. I've also heard lots of unpleasant stories from (primarily infantry) officers and soldiers being told in no uncertain terms that they *will* have a summary hearing and they will *not* appeal.

**Pyianno** · 03-01-2013, 01:14

Originally Posted by DangerMouse

Exactly - I agree with you wholeheartedly; who wouldn't? I have conducted Summary Hearings as a squadron commander myself, and I would like to think that I behaved properly. I was, however, conscious, that I could have got away with an awful lot if I was biased or dishonest. But can we rely on People Like Us being 'good chaps'? The longer I serve, the less confident I am...

It is an established principle of law in the United Kingdom that judges acting in their capacity as such are immune from prosecution or liability for their decisions, no matter how far they stray from the law or how badly they fail to interpret the evidence.

That privilege is subject to the superintendence of their seniors who's independence and impartiality tend to have been proven over a long period of time. Whilst the system allows for a great deal of abuse by lone individuals exercising discretion improperly, so long as there is scope for correcting those mistakes, that is a risk those individuals take. Genuine misconduct is unlikely to further their careers or enhance their reputations.

I cannot see why a military officer, in exercising quasi-judicial discretion, ought not be afforded the same immunities. Yes, the system is open to abuse. So long as it is subject to the qualification that those abuses can be corrected by impartial appeals processes, I can see little to complain about.

Note the obvious caveat - the above observations are only applicable in so far as they relate to allegations of criminal conduct.

Disciplinary sanctions, and 'employment' matters, are different, since those safeguards tend not to exist or be enforceable. Personally, I think the civillian protections of employment law ought not apply to military personnel. I do not regard the two as compatible, since a military command structure is build upon a system of absolute command and control (subject to very few restrictions indeed - i.e. certainty of an unlawful order being issued). I believe this is explained to all recruits upon entry. I think people just have to accept that if they elect to serve in the military they forefeight a great many civillian protections.