Starfleet Code of Military Justice

• Commonly abbreviated SCMJ (Novel: Gods of Night)
• Foundation of Starfleet military law
• Establishes processes and procedures for courts martial
  • Court martial general procedures
    • JAG division commander for the jurisdiction in which the crime occurred is required to convene all figures required for the court martial (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
      • A board consisting of at least three officers of commander's rank or higher (DIS: "Battle at the Binary Stars", TOS: "Court Martial", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II"; TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
        • Prior to late 23rd century, given that courts martial often occurred weeks or months from core Federation territory, there were few regulations on who could convene or sit on a court martial hearing, including the accusing party (TOS: "Court Martial", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II", "Turnabout Intruder")
        • As travel time to the frontier generally lessened, regulations were put in place preventing such, to avoid conflicts of interest (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
      • Judge advocate to advise the panel on any questions of law (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
      • JAG officers to serve as counsel for the prosecution or defense (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
        • Accused is alternatively allowed to select civilian counsel, or request any reasonably available officer as counsel, with assigned counsel either dismissed or serving as associate counsel (TOS: "Court Martial"; TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
• Crimes defined under SCMJ:
  • Culpable inefficiency in the performance of duty (TOS: "Court Martial"; TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
    • Accused willfully or negligently failed to perform ones duty as a Starfleet officer, resulting in harm to others or loss of materiel
    • Potential sentencing includes several months in holding (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
  • Employing excessive force (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
    • Accused willfully or negligently violated rules of engagement by proceeding with unwarranted amounts of force to resolve a confrontation
    • Potential sentencing includes several months in holding, dishonorable discharge (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
  • Improper hazarding of vessel (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
    • Accused wrongfully, willfully, or negligently caused a Starfleet vessel to or permitted a Starfleet vessel to be placed at risk of damage or loss
    • Potential sentencing includes several months in holding, dishonorable discharge (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
• Elaborated and detailed via directives issued by Starfleet Command
  • Directive 010: Before engaging alien species in battle, any and all attempts to make first contact and achieve nonmilitary resolution must be made. (TNG Novel: The Buried Age; VOY: "In the Flesh")
  • Directive 012: When engaged in combat with an unknown alien species, all attempts must be made to resolve said combat using minimum necessary force. (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)