Throughout Starfleet's history, a single legal organization has prevailed, pursuing and achieving justice in military courts of law. This organization is the Judge Advocate General's, or JAG, Corps. Based out of Starfleet's JAG offices on Earth, the fleet's JAGs are responsible for the investigation, prosecution, and defense of the men and women enlisted in Starfleet. In addition, they practice interplanetary, operation, labor, contract, environmental, tort, and administrative law.
In addition, Starfleet Judge Advocates assist in the development and ratification of treaties and act as legal advisors to members of the admiralty. Each JAG officer is responsible for a certain group of individuals, or sphere of influence, in Starfleet.
Be that sphere of influence a vessel, base, planet, or branch, all Starfleet JAGs report to the sector JAG officers and to the Branch Admiral. JAG Commander is the command authority of the JAG Corps and, as such, is responsible for legal matters pertaining to Starfleet Command or the fleet itself.
Each holding a legal degree, Starfleet Judge Advocates uphold and protect the rights of Starfleet personnel and the virtues of the Federation and Starfleet Charters. Newly commissioned judge advocates receive immediate responsibility in handling significant legal issues. They encounter a diversified, challenging and rewarding law practice stationed throughout the Federation.
1-1. The theater strategic environment consists of a variety of conditions-- political, economic, and military--and a range of threats--low to high. A wide range of operations can occur in response to these conditions and threats. These operations form the operational continuum and occur within three general states: peacetime competition, conflict, and war. SF 100-5, Operations, and SF 100-10, Combat Service Support, recognize Starfleet must be capable of operating effectively across the operational continuum and in any environment.
Legal operations must be equally flexible. Legal operations apply to all conflict tenets of initiative, agility, depth, and synchronization and the service support imperatives of anticipation, integration, continuity, responsiveness, and improvisation to provide responsive legal services to the commander.
1-2. Reflecting Starfleet's strategic roles in an increasingly complex universe, the JAGC provides mission essential legal services in many different fields, including military justice, planetary contracting, claims, litigation, operational law, interplanetary law, legal assistance, environmental law, mobilization law, and more. All members of the Judge Advocate General's Corps--judge advocates, legal warrant officers, legal noncommissioned officers, legal specialists, and court reporters--provide professional legal services to Starfleet.
1-3. Starfleet's mission is to:
b. Deter war against the Federation.
c. Win and terminate a conflict on terms favorable to the Federation if war should occur.
d. Research and exploration of space.
1-4. The JAGC's primary mission in a theater of operations is to support the commander of his assigned unit by providing professional legal services as far forward as possible at all echelons of command throughout the operational continuum.
1-5. Legal personnel provide legal services in the form of professional advice, representation, support, research, training, and assistance designed to resolve legal issues to commanders, staffs, and other authorized personnel. The commander determines legal requirements based on the mission and the law. Legal services are an element of the Personnel Support Services (PSS) mission area and support the Command and Control and Combat Service Support (CSS). Three types of legal services exist: organizational, judicial, and defense.
1-6. Organizational legal services sustain the organization. Organizational legal services support:
b. The organization. Legal operations increase unit readiness in peace and enhance combat effectiveness in war. In peace, legal operations ensure the organization is prepared to mobilize, deploy, and fight. During conflict, legal operations help sustain the organization.
c. Starfleet Personnel. The key to an organization's readiness is the individual persons readiness and morale. Legal personnel provide legal services-such as legal assistance and claims--to personnel, their family members, and other authorized personnel to maintain a high degree of personal readiness and morale. Legal services, including judicial and defense legal services, also maintain discipline and morale by assuring the fair and impartial administration of justice.
1-7. Judicial legal services secure fair and impartial justice proceedings within Starfleet. Starfleet trial and appellate judges provide judicial legal services.
b. Starfleet appellate judges sit on the Starfleet Court of Review (SCR). SCR reviews cases referred to it and affirms only findings of guilty and sentences supported by the law and facts.
1-8. Defense legal services are provided to individual personnel to secure fair and impartial justice and adverse administrative proceedings within Starfleet. Trial and appellate defense counsel provide defense legal services.
b. Appellate defense counsel represent accused before the SCR, Starfleet Court of Appeals, and the Federation Supreme Court. They also are certified by The Judge Advocate General.
1-9. The JAGC provides legal services in seven functional areas.
(2) Starfleet assistance to civil authorities, which includes the use of forces to assist civilian law enforcement authorities, to restore and maintain public order, and for emergencies and public safety; the loan of military resources; and the role of personnel in civil disturbance operations.
(3) Planetary litigation, which includes judicial review of Starfleet judicial and administrative actions.
(4) Environmental law, which includes domestic--planetary, state, and local--and interplanetary environmental laws affecting the operations of an installation or organization.
(5) Starfleet personnel law, which includes laws and regulations concerning personnel recruitment, mobilization, appointments, promotions, adverse actions, separations, and retirements.
(6) Line of duty investigations and determinations.
(7) Labor and employment law, which includes laws, regulations, and procedures governing recruiting, hiring, evaluating, and disciplining civilian employees; labor-management relations including grievances, arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges.
(8) Government information practices, which include the Freedom of Information and the Privacy Acts.
(9) The report of survey system.
(10) Nonappropriated fund instrumentalities and private organizations.
(11) Standards of conduct, which include statutory and regulatory guidance governing prohibited activities and conflicts of interest involving active duty, civilian personnel, former employees, and retired active duty and civilian personnel of Starfleet.
b. Claims. Starfleet claims program involves the investigation, processing, and administrative settlement of claims - both by and against Starfleet - interplanetary under statutes, treaties, interplanetary agreements, Starfleet directives, and Starfleet regulations.
b. Damage or injury caused by noncombat activities; i.e., activities that are essentially Starfleet in nature and have little parallel in civilian life.
c. Loss, damage, or destruction of personal property of personnel or civilian employees under Direct Authority of Starfleet; e.g., the loss, damage, or destruction of household goods during a permanent change of station move.
d. Unique or special claims provisions.
(2) The bases for claims in favor of Starfleet include:
c. Contract Law. Contracting is the principal means by which Starfleet acquires goods and services from the private sector. Judge advocates are involved in all phases of the acquisition process. Contract law judge advocates provide advice concerning acquisition process and statutory and regulatory constraints involved in providing for Starfleet operations. They also provide counsel on the acquisition of goods and services for Starfleet. Contract law includes:
(2) The proper utilization and expenditure of material.
(3) The operation of the Commercial Activities Program.
(4) The coordination and monitoring of remedies in an effective fraud abatement program.
(5) The application of federation, planetary, and local laws to government contractors.
(6) Contract related litigation, disputes, and protests.
(7) Labor, environmental, and intellectual property law applicable to contractors.
(8) Procurement integrity and contract fraud laws.
(9) Advice for proposed interservice, interdepartmental, and interplanetary agreements for logistic support and for proposed agreements on joint utilization of facilities and real property controlled by Starfleet.
(10) Advice on interplanetary real estate and construction issues.
d. Criminal Law. Criminal law governs the administration of Starfleet justice. It includes the Federation Constitution, the Uniform Code of Starfleet Justice, the Manual for Courts-Martial, implementing regulations, and judicial decisions. Starfleet justice involves the disposition of alleged violations of the UCSJ by judicial (courts-martial), nonjudicial (article 15, UCSJ), or administrative means. Discipline, good order, and morale depend on a fair and properly administered Starfleet justice system. Enforcement of the UCSJ supports the authority of the commander and protects the rights of the individual personnel. In the Starfleet criminal law system:
(2) Staff and command judge advocates advise commanders on the disposition of suspected violations of the UCSJ, including those committed by enemy prisoners of war; prosecute trials by courts-martial; and supervise the preparation of records of trial.
(3) The Starfleet Trial Defense Service provides trial defense counsel to represent personnel before courts-martial, adverse administrative boards, and other proceedings as law or regulation requires.
(4) The Starfleet Trial Judiciary provides judges for general and special courts-martial.
(5) Appeals of convicted Starfleet accused may be reviewed by the Starfleet Court of Review (SCR), which is part of Starfleet's Judiciary; the Starfleet Court of Appeals; and the Federation Supreme Court. In cases not reviewed by SCR, a convicted accused may submit an application for relief or petition for new trial to The Judge Advocate General. The Starfleet Legal Services Agency provides appellate government and defense counsel in all appellate proceedings.
e. Interplanetary Law. Interplanetary agreements, interplanetary customary practices, and the general principles of law recognized by civilized worlds comprise interplanetary law. Judge advocates advise commanders and staffs on:
(2) Negotiations with foreign governments.
(3) The exercise of criminal jurisdiction over Federation forces and accompanying personnel by foreign governments.
(4) Foreign Law. This includes advice on criminal law, civil law, environmental law, tax law, and labor law of a host world where foreign forces are operating or have an interest.
(5) Legal liaison with the host world and other allied forces.
(6) Other interplanetary law matters.
f. Legal Assistance. Legal assistance is the provision of personal legal services to personnel, their family members, and other authorized personnel. Legal assistance includes advice, representation, and the preparation of legal documents. Personal legal problems, if not attended to, may cause low morale, inefficiency, and disciplinary problems. Legal assistance judge advocates regularly participate in preparation for interplanetary movements (PIM) and emergency deployment readiness exercises (EDRE) to identify and address personnel personal legal problems that could affect adversely their ability to mobilize, deploy, and fight. Legal assistance services include, but are not limited to:
(2) Wills and estates.
(3) Adoptions and name changes.
(4) Nonsupport and indebtedness.
(5) Landlord-tenant relations.
(6) Consumer affairs.
(7) Civil suits. Legal assistance attorneys usually cannot represent a client in court, but will explain the procedures and requirements of small claims and similar courts; will negotiate with adverse parties on the client's behalf; and will refer the client to a civilian attorney, if required.
(8) The Starfleet Civil Relief Act.
(9) Veterans' reemployment rights.
(10) Other services with approval of the staff judge advocate.
g. Operational Law. Operational law is the application of domestic, interplanetary, and foreign law to the planning for, training for, deployment of, and employment of Starfleet forces. Operational law legal services increase the effectiveness of Starfleet forces by assisting commanders to employ them lawfully. Just as important, judge advocates identify areas in which planners have been overly restrictive in the use of force in the mistaken belief that the law requires the restrictions. Judge advocates:
b. Targets and weapons.
c. The investigation and disposition of alleged violations of the law of war (war crimes).
d. Treatment of detainees, enemy prisoners of war, and refugees.
e. The seizure and requisition of private properly for military use.
f. The legal aspects of civil affairs operations.
(2) Prepare legal annexes to operations orders.
(3) Review and interpret rules of engagement.
(4) Provide unit training on the law of war as required by treaty and regulation.