July 16, Chris Jenks, SMU Dallas Dedman School of Law professor specializing in military justice issues, for a piece critical of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s reform proposals for the Military Justice Improvement Act of 2020. Published in Inside Sources: https://bit.ly/2WtCcZg
Over the last seven years, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has been a leading voice advocating for military justice reform.
Her efforts, along with those of her Senate and House colleagues, led to important statutory and policy changes that have enhanced the military’s response to sexual misconduct in the ranks.
While there is more work to be done to foster an environment within the hierarchical structure of the military so abuse victims of all ranks feel comfortable reporting fellow service members, we should commend Gillibrand for focusing attention on sexual abuse in the military.
But her recent remarks on the Senate floor call into question her knowledge of military justice and her own legislative proposal. On July 1, she spoke in support of the Military Justice Improvement Act of 2020, which would transfer authority from the commander to a military lawyer to respond to certain military crimes, including sexual assault offenses. . .
Continue reading “Senator’s Ideas on Overhauling Military Justice Are Impractical”