Executive Order 13140: 1999 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States
President: Bill Clinton
Changed court-martial procedure, evidence and offenses, including rules for child testimony and psychotherapist records.
Status: Superseded. Is Executive Order 13140 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13140 was superseded. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13140 do?
EO 13140 amended the Manual for Courts-Martial. Its 1999 changes addressed military-judge qualifications, ways a child witness could testify remotely, a psychotherapist-patient privilege with specified exceptions, sentencing evidence, and a reckless-endangerment offense. Most changes took effect on November 1, 1999, but the order set different transition rules for particular evidence and procedure changes. It barred using the amendments to make earlier conduct newly punishable or to increase an earlier offense’s maximum punishment. The Manual has since been revised repeatedly, so current cases require the current Manual and applicable law.
Before and after
Before the order
The Manual used the prior versions of these rules under EO 12473 and subsequent amendments.
After the order
Specified rules changed prospectively under the order’s transition clauses.
Later executive orders continued to revise and republish the Manual.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Military judges | Apply the amended procedure and evidence rules when the transition provisions permit | Case-specific |
| Military counsel | Assess the applicable version of the Manual and relevant offense date | Case-specific |
| Defense Department | Incorporate and maintain Manual amendments | Continuing revision process |
What happened next
EO 13140 adopted amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial.
Most amendments took effect, with savings rules for cases already under way.
EO 14130 made further amendments to the Manual.
The original order and later revision record were rechecked.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order used presidential authority under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Its remote-testimony and evidentiary provisions contain safeguards and exceptions; the effective-date section protects earlier conduct, punishments and proceedings. This 1999 text alone is not a statement of present court-martial law.
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.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →