The Military Court Service

The Military Court Service (MCS) works closely with, but is independent of: the Office of the Judge Advocate General; the Service Prosecuting Authority, which is equivalent to the Crown Prosecution Service; the Service chains of command, Service and MOD personnel branches; the National Probation Service; and the victim and witness services and military court advocates.

Service Court proceedings are publicised over a two-week assize period. Military court listings. All hearings are open to the public in exactly the same way as civilian courts, unless otherwise directed by the presiding judge.

Service Court results are now published on a monthly basis.

Further information on the Court Martial, Summary Appeal Court and the Service Civilian Court can be found in the Manual of Service Law JSP 830.

Recent court ruling at the Catterick Military Court Centre - Judge Advocate Legard

In the interests of transparency and public interest, this ruling will be made available on GOV.UK for a period of six months.

HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate - Military Court Service Report - August 2026

This inspection was undertaken at the invitation of the Director of the Military Court Service. Such invitations reflect a commitment to transparency, continuous improvement and independent scrutiny. I welcome the willingness of the MCS to subject itself to external inspection and to seek assurance about the effectiveness and efficiency of the service it provides. This is reflective of a positive approach and demonstrates a mature organisation with a culture that is open to challenge and improvement.

Anthony Rogers HM Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service

The MCS is independent of the Service chains of command and is staffed by civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) working from both court centres.