Executive Order 13696-2015 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States
Issued 2015-06-17 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
President Obama updated the Manual for Courts-Martial, which is the rulebook that governs how military courts operate when service members face criminal charges. The order made changes to three sections of this manual, building on amendments that previous presidents had made to the manual over the years. The President acted under authority granted by the Constitution and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which is the federal law that established the military justice system.
This action affects members of the U.S. Armed Forces who may be subject to courts-martial proceedings. The order specifies that the changes cannot make any past actions punishable if they weren't already against the rules when they occurred. It also ensures that any military legal proceedings already underway—such as ongoing investigations, trials, or disciplinary actions—can continue as if the amendments hadn't been made, protecting the integrity of cases already in progress.
The changes matter because the Manual for Courts-Martial directly shapes how military justice is administered for hundreds of thousands of service members. By updating the manual, the President adjusted the procedures and rules that military courts must follow, though the source does not specify what the particular amendments changed about how courts-martial operate.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
Executive Order 13696 addresses "Executive Order 13696-2015 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States". The President's stated reasoning: "prescribe amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, prescribed by Executive Order 12473 of April 13, 1984, as amended, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1 ." Executive orders are a long-established exercise of presidential power, used by every President since George Washington. They are grounded in Article II of the Constitution, which vests executive power in the President and directs them to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."
Executive orders cannot create new law, contradict existing federal statutes, or exceed the President's constitutional authority. The legitimacy of any specific order depends on whether it operates within statutory authority Congress has delegated, directs the executive branch on matters within its constitutional purview, or attempts to substitute executive policy for legislative choices. Courts can and do review executive orders for conformity with the Constitution and federal law.
Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2015 Executive Order 13696—2015 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States June 17, 2015 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. 801–946), and in order to prescribe amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, prescribed by Executive Order 12473 of April 13, 1984, as amended, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1 . Part II, Part III, and Part IV of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, are amended as described in the Annex attached and made a part of this order. Sec. 2 . These amendments shall take effect as of the date of this order, subject to the following: (a) Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to make punishable any act done or omitted prior to the effective date of this order that was not punishable when done or omitted. (b) Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceedings, restraint, investigation, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the effective date of this order, and any suc