Legal Branch


The Legal Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. It primarily deals with the Canadian Forces' legal affairs. Unlike most branches, legal officers are accepted only through the Direct-Entry Training Program, and must have a degree in law as well as be a member of a Canadian provincial bar.

Training

Military Law Centre

The Military Law Centre on the grounds of the Royal Military College of Canada in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, which is staffed with nine military lawyers, oversees the education of officers and troops in legal matters ranging from the Forces' own code of conduct to the laws of war. It trains military lawyers and advises Ottawa on matters of policy and doctrine. The centre integrates legal education into the regular training that Forces members undergo and establishes its growing importance within the military hierarchy.
Selected RMC cadets participate in Law of Armed Conflict international competitions each fall with cadets from the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy and the United States Coast Guard Academy. In spring 2008, RMC cadets were selected to participate in a competition on the Law of Armed Conflict at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in Sanremo, Italy.

Order of precedence