The Judge Advocate of the Fleet was an appointed civilian

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

who was responsible for the supervision and superintendence of the

court martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

system in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

from 1663 to 2008.

History

The position dates to the sixteenth century but was filled on an occasional basis until 1663 when it became a permanent role. Appointments were by Admiralty Order and included an annual stipend worth £146 between 1663 and 1666, and £182 thereafter. From 1824 the Judge Advocate jointly held the office of Counsel to the Admiralty. later styled as Counsel to the Navy Department, Ministry of Defence. A remunerated position of Deputy Judge Advocate existed from 1668 to 1679, and again from 1684 to 1831. Until 2004 the Judge Advocate shared responsibility for the naval court martial system with the Chief Naval Judge Advocate previously known as the Deputy Judge Advocate of the Fleet, a legally trained serving naval

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

who was responsible for the appointment of judge advocates. However the Chief Naval Judge Advocate's post was abolished in 2004 following a ruling by the

European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that a ...

that held that, as a serving naval officer, his position was insufficiently

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

. The role of Judge Advocate of the Fleet was taken over by the Judge Advocate General from 2004 onwards. It was formally abolished on 31 December 2008 under the

Armed Forces Act 2006 The Armed Forces Act 2006 (c 52) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It came into force on 31 October 2006. It replaces the three separate Service Discipline Acts (the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 and the Naval Discipli ...

Judge Advocates of the Fleet

*1663 J. Fowler *1672 J. Brisbane *1680 H. Croone *1689 P. Foster *1689 F. Bacher *1690 Villiers Bathurst *1711 W. Strahan *1714 E. Honywood *1724 J. Copeland *1729 T. Hawes *1743 T. Kempe *1744 Charles Fearne *1768 Sir George Jackson, Bt., MP (Sir George Duckett, Bt. from 1797) *1824 Horace Twiss, KC, MP *1828 Henry John Shepherd, QC *1845

Richard Godson Richard Godson, QC (1797–1849) was an English barrister and politician. He was member of Parliament for in 1831–32 and then 1832–34 and 1837–1849.Richard Budden Crowder Sir Richard Budden Crowder, QC (17 May 1796 – 5 December 1859) was a British Liberal Party politician and judge. He was elected at a by-election in 1849 as Member of Parliament (MP) for Liskeard in Cornwall, and held the seat until he resig ...

, QC, MP *1854

Thomas Phinn Thomas Phinn, QC ( – 31 October 1866) was a British barrister and Liberal Party politician. He held various positions in the Admiralty of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. Life Born in Bath, Somerset, Phinn was educa ...

*1855

William Atherton William Atherton Knight (born July 30, 1947) is an American actor, best known for portraying Richard Thornburg in '' Die Hard'' and its sequel and Walter Peck in ''Ghostbusters''. Early life Atherton was born in Orange, Connecticut, the son ...

, QC, MP *1859

Robert Porrett Collier Robert Porrett Collier, 1st Baron Monkswell, (21 June 1817 – 27 October 1886) was an English lawyer, politician and judge. Background and education He was the eldest son of John Collier, a merchant of Plymouth, formerly a member of the Soc ...

, QC *1863

, QC *1866

John Walter Huddleston Sir John Walter Huddleston (8 September 1815 – 5 December 1890) was an English judge, formerly a criminal lawyer who had established an eminent reputation in various '' causes célèbres''. As a Baron of the Exchequer of Pleas, he was styled ...

, KC *1875–1904

Alexander Staveley Hill Alexander Staveley Hill (21 May 1825 – 25 June 1905) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1868 to 1900, representing Coventry, Staffordshire West and Kingswinford. Hill was born ...

, KC *1904–1924 Sir Reginald Brodie Dyke Acland, KC *1924-1933

Charles Murray Pitman Charles Murray Pitman KC JP (8 January 1872 – 13 October 1948) was a British judge and rower described in his Times obituary as having been known "in the rowing world ... one of the most distinguished oarsmen of his time". The son of Fre ...

, KCMr. C. M. Pitman, K.C. The Times (London, England), Friday, Oct 15, 1948; pg. 7; Issue 51203. (471 words) *1933 John Graham Trapnell, KC *1943 John Lhind Pratt *1945 Hon. Ewen Edward Samuel Montagu, CBE, QC *1973 William McLaren Howard, QC *1986 HHJ Andrew Felix Waley, VRD, QC *1995 HHJ John Lionel Sessions *2004 Moribund *2008 Abolished

References

{{British Military Royal Navy Royal Navy appointments Legal history of England Judiciary of England and Wales Judiciary of Scotland 1661 establishments in England 2008 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Legal occupations in the military Law Officers of the Royal Navy United Kingdom military law Courts-martial in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...