Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is continuing her push to remove military commanders from their role in the prosecution of military sexual assault cases. In the latest news, covered here, she is fighting back against a recent report that recommended commanders keep their traditional convening authority discretion even in sexual assault cases.
The report was published by the Response Systems to Adult Sexual Assault Crimes Panel (576 panel), which is currently conducting an “independent review and assessment of the [DOD] systems used to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes involving adult sexual assault and related offenses under article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, for the purpose of developing recommendations concerning how to improve the effectiveness of those systems.”
Previous coverage of the 576 Panel and the on-going debate and controversy surrounding the military’s handling of sexual assault prosecutions is here and here.
