MJ-003 · MILITARY JUSTICE
Manual for Courts-Martial: Current Rules & Version Control
MJ-003: Use the right MCM edition and every later operative amendment before relying on an R.C.M., M.R.E., punitive-article explanation, or appendix.
Start with the controlling authority
Working procedure
- Start with the 2024 published MCM.
- Check the JSC current-publications page for executive orders and amendments issued after that edition.
- Distinguish operative amendments from proposed amendments.
- For a historical case, identify the MCM/rule version applicable to the procedural event or offense date.
- Save the exact edition and amendment source used in the research file.
Records to preserve
MREC-12 legal proceedings; MREC-18 source catalog and preservation.
Version and service discipline
Military justice is version-sensitive. Match the offense date, procedural date, service, forum, and filing date to the governing statute, MCM/R.C.M./M.R.E. version, presidential amendments, service regulation, and court rules. The 2024 MCM must be checked against later operative amendments before treating it as complete current procedure.
