Executive Order 13365: 2004 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States
President: George W. Bush
Changed courts-martial rules and military evidence provisions, including pretrial delay, public access and expert testimony.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13365 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13365 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13365 do?
EO 13365 added annual Joint Service Committee review language and amended Rules for Courts-Martial and Military Rules of Evidence, including requirements for charging, speedy-trial remedies, courtroom closure and expert evidence. The Department of Defense published a 2005 Manual for Courts-Martial incorporating the presidential amendments. Subsequent editions and legislation may change particular rules.
Before and after
Before the order
EO 12473 prescribed the Manual for Courts-Martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
After the order
EO 13365 added annual Joint Service Committee review language and amended Rules for Courts-Martial and Military Rules of Evidence, including requirements for charging, speedy-trial remedies, courtroom closure and expert evidence.
The Department of Defense published a 2005 Manual for Courts-Martial incorporating the presidential amendments. Subsequent editions and legislation may change particular rules.
What did the signed order change?
EO 12473 prescribed the Manual for Courts-Martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. EO 13365 added annual Joint Service Committee review language and amended Rules for Courts-Martial and Military Rules of Evidence, including requirements for charging, speedy-trial remedies, courtroom closure and expert evidence.
What happened later?
2005 Manual for Courts-Martial — official edition documents this later development: The Department of Defense published a 2005 Manual for Courts-Martial incorporating the presidential amendments. Subsequent editions and legislation may change particular rules.
What does that evidence establish?
The order amends the Manual for Courts-Martial under 10 U.S.C. chapter 47. Its rule changes have separate scope and effective-date provisions; the 2005 manual confirms contemporaneous incorporation, not the present text of every rule. This guide does not infer an outcome for any particular court-martial. The signed order controls its original terms.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense and military justice authorities | Applied amended procedural and evidence rules to covered courts-martial | Under the signed order and governing law |
What happened next
EO 13365 signed.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order amends the Manual for Courts-Martial under 10 U.S.C. chapter 47. Its rule changes have separate scope and effective-date provisions; the 2005 manual confirms contemporaneous incorporation, not the present text of every rule.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — official executive-order record (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 26, 2026. How we research →