HISTORY

Military criminal cases comprise a wide range of offenses from insubordination or absence without leave (AWOL) to war crimes, and in some jurisdictions civilian crimes too.

The responsibility for the prosecution of cases concerning military personnel (service personnel) varies across the jurisdictions and the cases are handled by a range of various models. Over the last decades a number of jurisdictions have integrated the prosecution of offences committed by military personnel into the general civilian justice systems. Other jurisdictions operate systems comprising military court systems. Some jurisdictions make a distinction between the prosecution of domestic cases and cases that arise from international operations.

In recent years the focus by the international courts on issues regarding international humanitarian law and human rights law has drawn attention to the military justice systems raising important issues of relevant prosecutorial experience, independence and oversight as well.

The purpose of the NMP is to provide a meaningful forum under the auspices of the IAP for such prosecutors, whether they are civilian or military, and to provide them with an invaluable forum through which they can exchange national experience, identify common challenges and discuss ways to address them, and to share and promote good practices.