Starfleet Code of Military Justice

• Commonly abbreviated SCMJ (Novel: Gods of Night)
• Foundation of Starfleet military law
• Establishes processes and procedures for courts martial
  • Court martial general procedures
    • Court martial hearing requires a board consisting of at least three command officers of equal or greater rank to the accused (DIS: "Battle at the Binary Stars", TOS: "Court Martial", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II"; TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
      • Prior to late 23rd century, given that courts martial often occurred weeks or months from core Federation territory, there were few regulations on who could convene or sit on a court martial hearing, including the accusing party (TOS: "Court Martial", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II", "Turnabout Intruder")
      • As travel time to the frontier generally lessened, regulations were put in place preventing such, to avoid conflicts of interest (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
• Crimes defined under SCMJ:
  • Culpable inefficiency in the performance of duty (TOS: "Court Martial"; TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
    • Accused willfully or negligently failed to perform ones duty as a Starfleet officer, resulting in harm to others or loss of materiel
    • Potential sentencing includes several months in holding (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
  • Employing excessive force (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
    • Accused willfully or negligently violated rules of engagement by proceeding with unwarranted amounts of force to resolve a confrontation
    • Potential sentencing includes several months in holding, dishonorable discharge (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
  • Improper hazarding of vessel (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)
    • Accused wrongfully, willfully, or negligently caused a Starfleet vessel to or permitted a Starfleet vessel to be placed at risk of damage or loss
    • Potential sentencing includes several months in holding, dishonorable discharge (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)