Military justice to go under review

By Leesha Furse

Regular military justice audits will begin late this month.

The audits, to be conducted by Inspector General ADF (IGADF) will include checks of disciplinary and administrative records and practices, and focus groups to elicit personnel views of the military justice system.

Deputy DCOORD Air Force WGCMDR Rowley Tompsett said the audits were designed to confirm the health and effectiveness of the military justice system in practice at unit-level, and to help units identify and find solutions to any systemic flaws that may exist.

“The audit visits will focus on local arrangements for the administration and practice of military justice, particularly those areas not normally visible through other reporting systems,” he said.

WGCMDR Tompsett said a recent trial audit of two Air Force units, 37 Sqn and 386ECSS, confirmed that both were complying with the requirements of the military justice system.

“Some minor anomalies were identified and unit management has moved to remedy these.

The IGADF expressed no major concerns,” he said.

“As part of the audit, the IGADF staff will also conduct focus groups to elicit the views of ADF personnel of the military justice system.”

The IGADF teams will collate the information collected during audits and provide an analysis and evaluation to the unit, the unit’s superior headquarters

and Navy Headquarters.

The audits will examine:

Unit orders and discipline arrangements. Appointments of DFDA-related authorities DFDA sctions and associated record-keeping. The discipline officer systems, including infringements notices. The discipline officer system, including infringement register and infringement notices. Use and administration of extras. Detention arrangements. Notifiable incidents. Use of the PMKeyS-based Discipline Tracking and Case Flow Management System, and Administrative processes associated with military justice, such as applications for redress of grievance, formal warnings and censures, involuntary discharges, administrative inquiries, civil convictions and equity arrangements and complaints.

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