Congress’s sexual assault proposals are the latest development in a long history of civilian intervention in military justice

Earlier this year, the Military Justice Improvement Act was introduced into Congress with the aim of removing sexual assault cases from the chain of command. While some commentators have expressed their concern at the potential for the Act to reduce the authority of military commanders, and thus their effectiveness, others argue that the best way for the military to operate is with a degree of civilian control. Looking at the long history of congressional and executive interference into the military’s internal affairs, Brian Forester, Rachel Sondheimer, and Rachel Yon write that the current debate raises broader questions about the military’s autonomy versus society’s values.