Military justice

Biden to sign military justice reform for sexual assault cases

Biden’s signature formally implements legislation passed by lawmakers last year.

By MATT BERG

President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Friday to implement military justice reforms aimed at strengthening how the military handles sexual assault cases.

The executive order gives decision-making powers to independent military prosecutors in serious cases, including sexual assault, instead of the victims’ commanders, the White House said in a statement. In the past, victims have often been at the mercy of their commanders to decide whether to take their assault claims seriously.

Biden’s signature formally implements legislation passed by lawmakers last year.

Members of Congress battled with military leaders for years over the issue, arguing that commanders sometimes ignored charges or incidents in their units to protect those accused of offenses. Military leaders argued that bringing in independent prosecutors could erode the chain of command.

“The historic reforms announced today will better protect victims and ensure prosecutorial decisions are fully independent from the chain of the command,” the White House statement said.