Subchapter V · Composition of Courts-Martial

Article 22. Who may convene general courts-martial

2024 Manual for Courts-Martial, United States

Recent revisions Summary of changes Cited by (6)
(a) General courts-martial may be convened by—
(1) the President of the United States;
(2) the Secretary of Defense;
(3) the commanding officer of a unified or specified combatant command;
(4) the Secretary concerned;
(5) the commanding officer of an Army Group, an Army, an Army Corps, a division, a separate brigade, or a corresponding unit of the Army or Marine Corps;
(6) the commander of a fleet; the commanding officer of a naval station or larger shore activity of the Navy beyond the United States;
(7) the commanding officer of an air command, an air force, an air division, or a separate wing of the Air Force or Marine Corps, or the commanding officer of a corresponding unit of the Space Force;
(8) any other commanding officer designated by the Secretary concerned; or
(9) any other commanding officer in any of the armed forces when empowered by the President.
(b)
(1) If any such commanding officer is an accuser, the court shall be convened by superior competent authority, and may in any case be convened by such authority if considered desirable by him.
(2) A commanding officer shall not be considered an accuser solely due to the role of the commanding officer in convening a general court-martial to which charges and specifications were referred by a special trial counsel in accordance with this chapter.
Cross-referencesCited by 6
Cited by

Provisions elsewhere in the Manual whose text cites Article 22. Each link opens the citing provision.

Rules for Courts-Martial
Discussion under R.C.M. 201(b)(3) — Jurisdiction in general (22(b))
…court-martial to which charges and specifications were referred by a special trial counsel pursuant to Article 22(b) for general courts-martial or Article 23(b) for special courts-martial, as amended by Section 534 of the…
R.C.M. 201(e)(1) — Jurisdiction in general (22(a)(9))
…over members of any of the armed forces. (B) So much of the authority vested in the President under Article 22(a)(9), to empower any commanding officer of a joint command or joint task force to convene courts-martial is…
Discussion under R.C.M. 307(a) — Preferral of charges (22(b))
…the convening authority of a general or special court-martial to which the charges are later referred. See Articles 22(b), 23(b), and 24a(c)(2)(A); R.C.M. 601; but see R.C.M. 1302(b) (summary court-martial convening authority is not disqualified by being…
Discussion under R.C.M. 407(a)(6) — Action by commander exercising general court-martial jurisdiction
See Article 22 and R.C.M. 504(b)(1) concerning who may exercise general court-martial jurisdiction. See R.C.M. 601…
R.C.M. 504(b)(1) — Convening courts-martial (22(a))
…competent authority, general courts-martial may be convened by persons occupying positions designated in Article 22(a) and by any commander designated by the Secretary concerned or empowered by the President. A commanding…
Uniform Code of Military Justice
Art. 6(b)(2) — Judge advocates and legal officers
…title) and all commanders authorized to convene courts-martial under sections 822 through 824 of this title (articles 22 through 24). The qualifications of judge advocates assigned to provide legal advice to commanders under this paragraph…