The Court-Martial Panel Member Selection Process

The court-martial panel member selection process has changed significantly during the history of our armed forces. Since the adoption of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1950, however, the court-martial panel member selection process has not changed in any significant respect. The present system is ill-suited to meet both the needs of military justice and discipline. The Code should be amended to create a system of panel member selection which is not only responsive to military discipline, but which provides service members with panels that are both fairly and impartially selected and represent a fair cross-section of the military community.