This petition was submitted during the 2010-2015 parliament
Rejected petition Reform of Military Courts Martials System
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It is a fact that soldiers who are sentenced by a military court do not receive a fair trial, in line with what their Civilian counterparts .
Civilians who are tried for serious offences receive a trial in a crown court by a jury of 12. In order for a verdict to be given a minimum of 10 of the 12 must agree. Furthermore the defendant is made aware of whether the verdict was unanimous.
Soldiers in contrast are tried by a panel of 5 officers who only require a simple majority of 3 of 5 in order to return a verdict. Also they are not told as to whether the verdict was a unanimous one. Furthermore those officers far from only being concerned with only the facts of the case, also have the image and reputation of the armed forces to consider, which may sway their judgement.
Military trials should be conducted under the same procedures of a Crown Court. 12 totally independent jurors and a majority of 10 to 2 to return a verdict.
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