Defence watchdogs seminar: administrative oversight of military justice

Friday, 5 December 2008 was the 25th anniversary of the start of the Defence Force Ombudsman. To mark this milestone, a seminar titled Defence Watchdogs: the administrative oversight of military justice was held on 26 November 2008 at the Australian War Memorial. The seminar was hosted by three watchdogs: the Defence Force Ombudsman, the Australian Centre for Military Law and Justice (ANU) and the Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force.

Speakers at the seminar included the Hon. Warren Snowdon, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel; Senator Mark Bishop, the Chair of the Senate Committee for Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade, and Lieutenant General Peter Leahy, former Chief of Army.

Some of the speeches and presentations from the seminar are reproduced below.