Military Justice
The learning culture report aims to reinforce Defence's optimal training culture, reduce the risks of inappropriate behaviour, improve the care and welfare of trainees, and improve the management of minors. This follows an inquiry into the learning culture of ADF schools and training establishments.
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Achievements | Background | Links
Achievements
To date, 17 of the 47 recommendations have been completed with 10 recommendation elements completed.
For a description of these recommendations, visit the Government response to the Learning Culture Inquiry under Reports.
In February 2006, the Chief of the Defence Force established an inquiry into the learning culture in ADF schools and training establishments to determine whether a culture of harassment and bullying exists and whether irregularities against established policies and processes occur. The inquiry was commissioned in response to the 2005 Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee Report into The Effectiveness of Australia's Military Justice System, which found that some aspects of ADF culture might be a possible cause of shortfalls in the military justice system.
The inquiry team comprised Andrew Podger, a former Departmental Secretary and Public Service Commissioner, Catherine Harris, a company chairperson and university councillor, and Major General Roger Powell (Retd), a former senior military officer. Their report was accordingly widely informed, and importantly, understanding of the nature of ADF training required for successful military operations.
After a six month review across the majority of ADF schools and training establishments, the inquiry found:
• no evidence of a culture that supports bullying or harassment however, there is still some way to go before the underlying culture will firmly oppose harassment and bullying and firmly support explicit policies on such issues as Equity and Diversity,
• evidence of considerable effort in all training establishments to manage the main risks to the care and welfare of students and trainees, but noted some irregularities in the care and welfare of ADF students and trainees, and
• no evidence that the current system of managing minors is likely to contribute directly to abuse, but observed that there are weaknesses in the system.
The Chief of the Defence Force publicly released the Learning Culture Inquiry Report and the Defence response to it on 6 December 2006.
Information current at 23 April 2008