Summary of changes
R.C.M. 104 — Command influence
The text as it stood in the last Manual for Courts-Martial edition beside the current text, provision by provision, with every recorded amendment and the authority behind it — the whole R.C.M. in one view.
2 amended
4 added
1 removed
33 unchanged
8 authority-backed edits · recorded
2026-07-14 – 2026-07-14
Authorities behind these changes
- Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) · Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20 · 8 changes
Showing changed provisions only.
Provisions
104(a)(2)
amended
text identical
Version history
Original text
Scope.
Current text
Scope.
Step-by-step: 1 recorded edit
| Version | Date | Authority | Note | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v2 | 2026-07-14 | Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) (Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20) | Section 1. Part II of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, is amended as follows: (b) R.C.M. 104(a)(3) is redesignated as R.C.M. 104(a)(2) | admin |
104(a)(2)(A)
amended
Version history
Original text
Instructions.
Paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this rule do not prohibit general instructional or informational courses in military justice if such courses are designed solely for the purpose of instructing personnel of a command in the substantive and procedural aspects of courts-martial.
Current text
Instructions.
Nothing in this rule prohibits general instructional or informational courses in military justice if such courses are designed solely for the purpose of instructing personnel of a command in the substantive and procedural aspects of courts-martial.
All changes since the original (removed / added)
Instructions.
Paragraphs (a)(1) and (2)Nothing ofin this rule do not prohibitprohibits general instructional or informational courses in military justice if such courses are designed solely for the purpose of instructing personnel of a command in the substantive and procedural aspects of courts-martial.
Step-by-step: 1 recorded edit
| Version | Date | Authority | Note | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v2 | 2026-07-14 | Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) (Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20) | Section 1. Part II of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, is amended as follows: (c) R.C.M. 104(a)(2)(A), as redesignated by Section 1(b) of this annex, is amended to read as follows: “(A) Nothing in this rule prohibits general instructional or informational courses in military justice if such courses are designed solely for the purpose of instructing personnel of a command in the substantive and procedural aspects of courts-martial.” | admin |
Instructions. |
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104(b)(3)
added since original
Version history
Original text
Not in the original text — this provision was added later.
Current text
No superior convening authority or officer may direct a subordinate convening authority or officer to make a particular disposition in a specific case or otherwise substitute the discretion of such authority or such officer for that of the subordinate convening authority or officer.
All changes since the original (removed / added)
No superior convening authority or officer may direct a subordinate convening authority or officer to make a particular disposition in a specific case or otherwise substitute the discretion of such authority or such officer for that of the subordinate convening authority or officer.
Step-by-step: 2 recorded edits
| Version | Date | Authority | Note | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v1 | 2026-07-14 | Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) (Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20) | Section 1. Part II of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, is amended as follows: (d) A new R.C.M. 104(b)(3) is inserted immediately after R.C.M. 104(b)(2) to read as follows: “(3) No superior convening authority or officer may direct a subordinate convening authority or officer to make a particular disposition in a specific case or otherwise substitute the discretion of such authority or such officer for that of the subordinate convening authority or officer.” | admin |
No superior convening authority or officer may direct a subordinate convening authority or officer to make a particular disposition in a specific case or otherwise substitute the discretion of such authority or such officer for that of the subordinate convening authority or officer. |
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| v2 | 2026-07-14 | Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) (Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20) | Section 1. Part II of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, is amended as follows: (d) A new R.C.M. 104(b)(3) is inserted immediately after R.C.M. 104(b)(2) to read as follows: “(3) No superior convening authority or officer may direct a subordinate convening authority or officer to make a particular disposition in a specific case or otherwise substitute the discretion of such authority or such officer for that of the subordinate convening authority or officer.” | admin |
104(c)(2)
added since original
Version history
Original text
Not in the original text — this provision was added later.
Current text
Evaluation of military judge.
All changes since the original (removed / added)
Evaluation of military judge.
Step-by-step: 1 recorded edit
| Version | Date | Authority | Note | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v1 | 2026-07-14 | Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) (Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20) | admin | |
Evaluation of military judge. |
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104(c)(2)(A)
added since original
Version history
Original text
Not in the original text — this provision was added later.
Current text
General courts-martial.
Unless the general court-martial was convened by the President or the Secretary concerned, neither the convening authority nor any member of the convening authority’s staff may prepare or review any report concerning the effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency of the military judge detailed to a general court-martial that relates to the performance of duty as a military judge.
All changes since the original (removed / added)
General courts-martial.
Unless the general court-martial was convened by the President or the Secretary concerned, neither the convening authority nor any member of the convening authority’s staff may prepare or review any report concerning the effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency of the military judge detailed to a general court-martial that relates to the performance of duty as a military judge.
Unless the general court-martial was convened by the President or the Secretary concerned, neither the convening authority nor any member of the convening authority’s staff may prepare or review any report concerning the effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency of the military judge detailed to a general court-martial that relates to the performance of duty as a military judge.
Step-by-step: 1 recorded edit
| Version | Date | Authority | Note | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v1 | 2026-07-14 | Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) (Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20) | admin | |
General courts-martial. Unless the general court-martial was convened by the President or the Secretary concerned, neither the convening authority nor any member of the convening authority’s staff may prepare or review any report concerning the effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency of the military judge detailed to a general court-martial that relates to the performance of duty as a military judge. |
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104(c)(2)(B)
added since original
Version history
Original text
Not in the original text — this provision was added later.
Current text
Special courts-martial.
The convening authority may not prepare or review any report concerning the effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency of a military judge detailed to a special court-martial that relates to the performance of duty as a military judge. When the military judge is normally rated or the military judge’s report is reviewed by the convening authority, the manner in which such military judge will be rated or evaluated upon the performance of duty as a military judge may be as prescribed in regulations of the Secretary concerned, which shall ensure the absence of any command influence in the rating or evaluation of the military judge’s judicial performance.
All changes since the original (removed / added)
Special courts-martial.
The convening authority may not prepare or review any report concerning the effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency of a military judge detailed to a special court-martial that relates to the performance of duty as a military judge. When the military judge is normally rated or the military judge’s report is reviewed by the convening authority, the manner in which such military judge will be rated or evaluated upon the performance of duty as a military judge may be as prescribed in regulations of the Secretary concerned, which shall ensure the absence of any command influence in the rating or evaluation of the military judge’s judicial performance.
The convening authority may not prepare or review any report concerning the effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency of a military judge detailed to a special court-martial that relates to the performance of duty as a military judge. When the military judge is normally rated or the military judge’s report is reviewed by the convening authority, the manner in which such military judge will be rated or evaluated upon the performance of duty as a military judge may be as prescribed in regulations of the Secretary concerned, which shall ensure the absence of any command influence in the rating or evaluation of the military judge’s judicial performance.
Step-by-step: 1 recorded edit
| Version | Date | Authority | Note | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v1 | 2026-07-14 | Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) (Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20) | admin | |
Special courts-martial. The convening authority may not prepare or review any report concerning the effectiveness, fitness, or efficiency of a military judge detailed to a special court-martial that relates to the performance of duty as a military judge. When the military judge is normally rated or the military judge’s report is reviewed by the convening authority, the manner in which such military judge will be rated or evaluated upon the performance of duty as a military judge may be as prescribed in regulations of the Secretary concerned, which shall ensure the absence of any command influence in the rating or evaluation of the military judge’s judicial performance. |
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Provisions removed since the original
104(a)(2)
removed since original
Version history
Original text
Not in the original text — this provision was added later.
Text when removed
No longer in the current text.
All persons subject to the UCMJ.
No person subject to the UCMJ may attempt to coerce or, by any unauthorized means, attempt to influence the action of a court-martial or any other military tribunal or any member thereof, in reaching the findings or sentence in any case or the action of any preliminary hearing officer or convening, approving, or reviewing authority with respect to such preliminary hearing officer’s or authority’s acts concerning the following: any decision to place a Servicemember into pretrial confinement; disposition decisions; rulings on pre-referral matters; findings at a preliminary hearing; convening a court-martial; decisions concerning plea agreements; selecting members; decisions concerning witness requests; taking action on any clemency or deferment request; or any appellate or post-trial review of a case.
All changes since the original (removed / added)
All persons subject to the UCMJ.
No person subject to the UCMJ may attempt to coerce or, by any unauthorized means, attempt to influence the action of a court-martial or any other military tribunal or any member thereof, in reaching the findings or sentence in any case or the action of any preliminary hearing officer or convening, approving, or reviewing authority with respect to such preliminary hearing officer’s or authority’s acts concerning the following: any decision to place a Servicemember into pretrial confinement; disposition decisions; rulings on pre-referral matters; findings at a preliminary hearing; convening a court-martial; decisions concerning plea agreements; selecting members; decisions concerning witness requests; taking action on any clemency or deferment request; or any appellate or post-trial review of a case.
No person subject to the UCMJ may attempt to coerce or, by any unauthorized means, attempt to influence the action of a court-martial or any other military tribunal or any member thereof, in reaching the findings or sentence in any case or the action of any preliminary hearing officer or convening, approving, or reviewing authority with respect to such preliminary hearing officer’s or authority’s acts concerning the following: any decision to place a Servicemember into pretrial confinement; disposition decisions; rulings on pre-referral matters; findings at a preliminary hearing; convening a court-martial; decisions concerning plea agreements; selecting members; decisions concerning witness requests; taking action on any clemency or deferment request; or any appellate or post-trial review of a case.
Step-by-step: 1 recorded edit
| Version | Date | Authority | Note | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v1 | 2026-07-14 | Exec. Order 14130 (Dec. 20, 2024) (Executive Order, eff. 2024-12-20) | Section 1. Part II of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, is amended as follows: (a) R.C.M. 104(a)(2) is deleted. | admin |
All persons subject to the UCMJ. No person subject to the UCMJ may attempt to coerce or, by any unauthorized means, attempt to influence the action of a court-martial or any other military tribunal or any member thereof, in reaching the findings or sentence in any case or the action of any preliminary hearing officer or convening, approving, or reviewing authority with respect to such preliminary hearing officer’s or authority’s acts concerning the following: any decision to place a Servicemember into pretrial confinement; disposition decisions; rulings on pre-referral matters; findings at a preliminary hearing; convening a court-martial; decisions concerning plea agreements; selecting members; decisions concerning witness requests; taking action on any clemency or deferment request; or any appellate or post-trial review of a case. |
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“Original text” is the state captured the first time a provision was edited under change tracking — i.e. the text as published in the last Manual for Courts-Martial edition. Provisions edited without being “marked as changed” (typos, formatting) are not recorded here; see the recent revisions feed and the site-wide changes log.