// Legal Milestone for NZDF
Judges
The NZDF recently marked the biggest change to its military legal system in 25 years, with an official launch held at the Wellington High Court on Thursday 9 July. The swearing in of the Judges for the new Military Judicial System by the Chief Justice was a momentous occasion and an historical moment for the NZDF.
The new Military Justice system has introduced five key changes:
- Summary Trial system operating across all three services
- Right of appeal
- Availability of Summary Trial to all Senior Officers
- Permanent, independent Court Martial to replace the temporary Courts Martial
- Establishment of two new offences of negligence:
- negligently failing to perform a duty imposed by orders, training or custom, and
- negligently performing a duty imposed by orders, training or custom.
Effective from 1 July 2009, the new military justice system came about after a substantial review, with the NZDF committed to having an easier to understand, transparent and, above all, fair system of military justice.