Army Courts Martial
SIR,—From time to time we are treated to complaints by people in diverse prominent positions that the recruiting campaign for His Majesty's Forces is failing to draw the requisite numbers of men. I should hazard, Sir, that this state of affairs is likely to continue so long as the military judicial system—I speak with special reference to that employed in the Army—remains in its present condition. The politest thing that one can say about the system of courts martial and charges now in operation is to call it an anachronism. That a little injustice never did anyone any harm is a not too intolerable principle, although voiced usually by those who have never suffered a little injustice. But injustice as doled out by the Army court martial is scandalous. For the most part those who sit on the court martial have little knowledge of civil law, and many are nothing short of ignorant. The lower the rank of the offender, the lower the rank of the officers whose duty it is to pass judgement. This seems suspiciously like judicial favouritism, so rightly abhorred in this country. The sentences passed by these courts are often very severe, especially in the cases of first offenders, and seemingly bear no relation to sentences passed by civil courts for similar offences.
One effect of compulsory National Service is that the average intelli- gence of the other ranks is going to mount. Nobody will wish to serve more than his minimum time in the forces, if this system of justice is to continue. It should be a cause of shame to our country, and especially to those whose care the Army is, that it is still allowed to exist.—Yours
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