Defense and national security

Executive Order 13669: 2014 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States

President: Barack Obama

Revised military justice procedure, evidence and offenses, including major changes involving sexual assault cases.

Status: Superseded. Is Executive Order 13669 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13669 was superseded. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13669 do?

EO 13669 amended the Manual for Courts-Martial to reflect legislation and approved rule changes current in 2014. It addressed investigative, trial, evidentiary and punitive provisions, including reforms involving sexual offenses. Later annual executive orders and the Military Justice Act of 2016 substantially revised the system, so current cases require the latest Manual and applicable offense-date rules.

Administration position: The order changed generally applicable military rules; it did not decide any individual case or eliminate due process and appellate review.
SignedJune 13, 2014
AuthorityUCMJ article 36
InstrumentManual for Courts-Martial

Before and after

Before the order

The Manual had not incorporated recent statutory reforms and the approved 2014 rules package.

After the order

Courts-martial applied updated rules until later legislation and editions replaced them.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Defense DepartmentPublish and implement amendmentsCompleted
Military judges and counselApply provisions according to effective datesHistorical transition
PractitionersUse the current Manual and UCMJContinuing

What happened next

EO 13669 amended the Manual.