Executive Order 13740: 2016 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States
President: Barack Obama
Made a second 2016 package of changes to the Manual for Courts-Martial.
Status: Superseded. Is Executive Order 13740 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13740 was superseded. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13740 do?
EO 13740 amended the Manual for Courts-Martial under article 36 of the UCMJ, following EO 13730 earlier that year. It revised procedural, evidentiary and punitive provisions and specified effective dates. The Military Justice Act of 2016 and subsequent annual orders later reworked major parts of the system, making this a historical layer relevant mainly to cases governed by its dates.
Before and after
Before the order
Further approved changes remained after the May 2016 amendment package.
After the order
Courts-martial applied the September revisions until later manuals and law replaced them.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Defense Department | Publish and implement amendments | Completed |
| Military practitioners | Apply effective-date rules | Historical transition |
| Practitioners | Use the current Manual | Continuing |
What happened next
EO 13730 issued the first 2016 package.
EO 13740 issued further amendments.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Article 36 authorizes presidential rules. Statutes prevail, and due-process and ex post facto limits govern application.
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.
- Joint Service Committee — current Manual (opens in a new tab) Official record
- U.S. Code — UCMJ (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →