10 U.S.C. § 870 (ARMED FORCES)
§ 870. Art. 70. Appellate counsel
(a) The Judge Advocate General shall detail in his office one or more commissioned officers as appellate Government counsel, and one or more commissioned officers as appellate defense counsel, who are qualified under section 827(b)(1) of this title (article 27(b)(1)).
(b) Appellate Government counsel shall represent the United States before the Court of Criminal Appeals or the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces when directed to do so by the Judge Advocate General. Appellate Government counsel may represent the United States before the Supreme Court in cases arising under this chapter when requested to do so by the Attorney General.
(c) Appellate defense counsel shall represent the accused before the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, or the Supreme Court—
(1) when requested by the accused;
(2) when the United States is represented by counsel; or
(3) when the Judge Advocate General has sent the case to the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
(d) The accused has the right to be represented before the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, or the Supreme Court by civilian counsel if provided by him.
(e) Military appellate counsel shall also perform such other functions in connection with the review of court martial cases as the Judge Advocate General directs.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 62; Pub. L. 90–632, § 2(31), Oct. 24, 1968, 82 Stat. 1342; Pub. L. 98–209, § 10(c)(3), Dec. 6, 1983, 97 Stat. 1406; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IX, § 924(c)(1), (2), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2831; Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LIX, § 5334, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2936.)
heading: Amendment of Section
text: Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LIX, § 5334, title LXIII, § 5542, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2936, 2967, and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, Mar. 1, 2018, 83 F.R. 9889, provided that, except as otherwise provided, effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing regulations and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, this section is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(f) To the greatest extent practicable, in any capital case, at least one defense counsel under subsection (c) shall, as determined by the Judge Advocate General, be learned in the law applicable to such cases. If necessary, this counsel may be a civilian and, if so, may be compensated in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
See 2016 Amendment note below.
text: Historical and Revision Notes
Revised section
Source (U.S. Code)
Source (Statutes at Large)
870(a)
870(b)
50:657(a).
50:657(b).
May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 70), 64 Stat. 130.
870(c)
50:657(c).
870(d)
50:657(d).
870(e)
50:657(e).
In subsection (a), the word “detail” is substituted for the word “appoint”, since the filling of the position involved is not appointment to an office in the constitutional sense. The word “commissioned” is inserted for clarity. The word “are” is substituted for the words “shall be”. The words “the provisions of” are omitted as surplusage.
In subsections (b) and (c), the word “shall” is substituted for the words “It shall be the duty of * * * to”.
In subsection (c)(3), the word “sent” is substituted for the word “transmitted”.
In subsection (d), the word “has” is substituted for the words “shall have”.
In subsection (e), the word “directs” is substituted for the words “shall direct”.
heading: Amendments
text: 2016—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 114–328 added subsec. (f).
1994—Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “Court of Criminal Appeals” for “Court of Military Review” and “Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces” for “Court of Military Appeals” wherever appearing.
1983—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–209, § 10(c)(3)(A), inserted provision that Appellate Government counsel may represent the United States before the Supreme Court in cases arising under this chapter when requested to do so by the Attorney General.
Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 98–209, § 10(c)(3)(B), amended subsecs. (c) and (d) generally, inserting references to the Supreme Court.
1968—Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 90–632 substituted “Court of Military Review” for “board of review” wherever appearing.
heading: Effective Date of 2016 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing regulations and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1983 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 98–209 effective first day of eighth calendar month beginning after Dec. 6, 1983, see section 12(a)(1) of Pub. L. 98–209, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1968 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 90–632 effective first day of tenth month following October 1968, see section 4 of Pub. L. 90–632, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.