Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 70A.djvu/117

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59

59 §865.

Art. 65. Disposition of records after review by the convening authority (a) When the convening authority has taken final action in a general court-martial case, he shall send the entire record, including his action thereon and the opinion or opinions of the staff judge advocate or legal officer, to the appropriate Judge Advocate General. (b) If the sentence of a special court-martial as approved by the convening authority includes a bad-conduct discharge, whether or not suspended, the record shall be sent to the officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction over the command to be reviewed in the same manner as a record of trial by general court-martial or directly to the appropriate Judge Advocate General to be reviewed by a board of review. If the sentence as approved by an officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction includes a bad-conduct discharge, whether or not suspended, the record shall be sent to the appropriate Judge Advocate General to be reviewed by a board of review. (c) All other special and summary court-martial records shall be reviewed by a judge advocate of the Army or the Air Force, a law specialist of the Navy, or a law specialist or lawyer of the Coast Guard or Department of the Treasury, and shall be transmitted and disposed of as the Secretary concerned may prescribe by regulation. § 866. Art. 66. Review by board of review (a) Each Judge Advocate General shall constitute in his office one or more boards of review, each composed of not less than three commissioned officers or civilians, each of whom must be a member of the bar of a Federal court or of the highest court of a State. (b) The Judge Advocate General shall refer to a board of review the record in every case of trial by court-martial in which the sentence, as approved, affects a general or flag officer or extends to death, dismissal of a commissioned officer, cadet, or midshipman, dishonorable or bad-conduct discharge, or confinement for one year or more. (c) I n a case referred to it, the board of review may act only with respect to the findings and sentence as approved by the convening authority. I t may affirm only such findings of guilty, and the sentence or such part or amount of the sentence, as it finds correct in law and fact and determines, on the basis of the entire record, should be approved. I n considering the record, it may weigh the evidence, judge the credibility of witnesses, and determine controverted questions of fact, recognizing that the trial court saw and heard the witnesses. (d) If the board of review sets aside the findings and sentence, it may, except where the setting aside is based on lack of sufficient evidence in the record to support the findings, order a rehearing. If it sets aside the findings and sentence and does not order a rehearing, it shall order that the charges be dismissed. (e) The Judge Advocate General shall, unless there is to be further action by the President, the Secretary concerned, or the Court of Military Appeals, instruct the convening authority to take action in accordance with the decision of the board of review. I f the board of review has ordered a rehearing but the convening authority finds a rehearing impracticable, he may dismiss the charges.