Military program under way at ANU College of Law

A new graduate course for military lawyers at ANU will help the nation’s defence forces improve complaint handling and their knowledge of international law.

The ANU College of Law and the University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre recently began offering the Military Law Program (MLP). ANU won the five-year tender to provide the course, which had been taught by the University of Melbourne since 2000, earlier this year.

“ANU was chosen because of its central location, its national and international reputation, for the resources of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, and for the calibre of its teachers,” MLP Co-director Professor Robin Creyke said.

“We tendered for the MLP because, as The Australian Financial Review put it:  ‘The teaching of military law is set for a shake-up’. This followed reports like the 2005 Senate Inquiry into the Effectiveness of Military Justice that found complaints and grievances within the armed forces could be better handled.

“There were also calls for a cultural change within the defence forces. The previous Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill emphasised that Australian armed forces needed to be educated in the role, functions and jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for trying war crimes.”

There is regular turnover among the 100 permanent and 300 reservist defence lawyers, meaning that demand for the compulsory MLP should remain high. Professor Creyke said all participants must undertake the Graduate Diploma in Military Law, but may then choose whether to complete an Advanced Graduate Diploma in Military Law or a Masters of Military Laws/Masters of Laws.

The MLP includes subjects on: military discipline law; advocacy; military operations law, which covers international law; and military administrative law, which deals with interactions between the government and the military.

^^

On Campus June 2006

Green award for 100,000 dollar man

Staff key in success stories

Disease research prompts pairing

Major prize for star gazer

Stockholm award segues into peace study

Policy school name change honours former ANU head

Quacks and claps for science circus birthday

New Fulbright award at ANU

Alcohol expert hosts South African officials

Young leader reflects on balancing act

Research crucial for world policies: Thakur

Student of the commonwealth

Engineers’ imaginations soar

Google nod for software wizard

Briefs

Meet Susanne von Caemmerer in
People@ANU