Military Justice

Military justice involves people feeling exactly the same pressures as criminal matters. The impacts on your reputation, freedom and career can be just as significant.

I spent over 14 years in NZDF, both Regular Force and Territorials, as an infantry officer and a legal officer in Defence Legal Services. I served in command roles, as a staff officer and deployed on operations including HADR and to the Middle East.

As senior counsel on the Armed Forces Defence Counsel panel, I advise uniformed personnel on military discipline investigations, summary trials, Court Martial trials and appeals.

If you have been cautioned or charged, you likely qualify for three hours of free legal advice under the Armed Forces Legal Aid Scheme.

Get in touch as soon as possible and before you make any statement. Although most commanders and investigators have the best intentions when it comes to military discipline, they are not specialists and do not have significant experience in assessing the strength of investigations and evidence. There are often human errors in systems like this.

Because the military justice system is a specialised field, you need someone who understands not just legal principles but also military structure, culture, operational realities and service life. You also need someone who can speak to you in a language you can understand. I am that person.