The Office of the Judge Advocate General for the Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

provides legal advice to commanders at bases

Canadian Forces base

A Canadian Forces Base or CFB is a military installation of the Canadian Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces Base, it must station one or more major units .Minor installations are named Canadian Forces Station or CFS A Canadian Forces Base or CFB (French Base des forces...

 and wing

Wing (air force unit)

Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....

s, provides lawyers who defend accused persons at courts martial, teaches courses to other CF members or advises a commanding officer

Commanding officer

The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...

 in an operational theatre to uphold the ethical

Ethics

Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...

 and legal principles established by both the Canadian Forces and the Government of Canada

Government of Canada

The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...

. The current JAG of the Canadian Forces is Brigadier-General B. Blaise Cathcart.

The office consists of 159 regular force legal officer positions and 64 reserve force legal officer positions. Regular force legal officers are deployed as follows:

• National Defence Headquarters
  Department of National Defence Headquarters (Canada)
  The Major-General George R. Pearkes Building is the principal location of Canada's National Defence Headquarters and is located in Ottawa, Ontario....
  
   in Ottawa
• Eight Assistant Judge Advocate General (AJAG) offices, seven in Canada and one in Germany
  Germany
  Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
  
  
• Ten Deputy Judge Advocate (DJA) offices across Canada
• Four Regional Military Prosecutor (RMP) offices across Canada
• Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
  Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
  Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
  
   in Belgium
  Belgium
  Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
  
  
• Canadian Forces Military Law Centre at the Royal Military College of Canada
  Royal Military College of Canada
  The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
  
   (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario
  Kingston, Ontario
  Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
  
  
• JAG Legal Center and School (U.S Army), Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.A.
• Deputy Commander-in-Chief North American Aerospace Defence Command Headquarters (in Colorado Springs, Colorado
  Colorado Springs, Colorado
  Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
  
  , USA)
• with CF contingents deployed overseas — during 2009–2010, at locations in Afghanistan
  Afghanistan
  Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
  
  , the Gulf of Oman
  Gulf of Oman
  The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran...
  
  , Democratic Republic of the Congo
  Democratic Republic of the Congo
  The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
  
  , Sudan
  Sudan
  Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
  
   and Haiti
  Haiti
  Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
  
  ;
• in training with CF formations and units participating in major national and international exercises.

List of JAG

1. Major-General Henry Smith, 1911-1918
2. Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver Mowat Biggar, 1918-1920
3. Brigadier Reginald John Orde, 1920-1950
4. Brigadier-General William J. Lawson, 1950-1969
5. Brigadier-General Harold A. McLearn,1969-1972
6. Brigadier-General James M. Simpson, 1972-1976
7. Major-General John Patterson Wolfe, 1976-1982
8. Brigadier-General Frank Karwandy, 1982-1986
9. Brigadier-General Robert L. Martin, 1986-1990
10. Commodore Peter R. Partner, 1990-1993
11. Brigadier-General Pierre G. Boutet, 1993-1998
12. Brigadier-General Jerry S.T. Pitzul
    Jerry S.T. Pitzul
    Major-General Jerry S.T. Pitzul, CMM, CD, QC, was the Judge-Advocate-General for the Canadian Forces at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario from 1998 to 2006....
    
    , 1998-2006
13. Brigadier-General Ken Watkin
    Ken Watkin
    Brigadier General Kenneth "Ken" Watkin, OMM, CD, QC was Judge Advocate General of the Canadian Forces from 2006 to 2010. He is an expert on military law....
    
    , 2006-2010
14. Brigadier-General B. Blaise Cathcart, 2010 – Present

See also

United States

• Judge Advocate General's Corps
  Judge Advocate General's Corps
  Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...
  
  

United Kingdom

• Judge Advocate of the Fleet
  Judge Advocate of the Fleet
  In the United Kingdom, the Judge Advocate of Her Majesty's Fleet was a civilian judge who was responsible for the supervision and superintendence of the court martial system in the Royal Navy...
  
  
• Judge Advocate General (United Kingdom)

External links

• Office of the JAG for Canadian Forces website