---
kind: "range"
citation: "10 U.S.C. §§ 822–824"
title: "10"
from: "822"
to: "824"
count: 3
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/822..824"
---

# §822. Art. 22. Who may convene general courts-martial

- (a) General [courts](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial may be convened by—
  - (1) the President of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1);
  - (2) the Secretary of Defense;
  - (3) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a unified or specified combatant command;
  - (4) the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9);
  - (5) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of an [Army](/usc/10/7001.md) Group, an [Army](/usc/10/7001.md), an [Army](/usc/10/7001.md) Corps, a division, a separate brigade, or a corresponding unit of the [Army](/usc/10/7001.md) or Marine Corps;
  - (6) the commander of a fleet; the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a naval station or larger shore activity of the Navy beyond the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1);
  - (7) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of an air command, an air force, an air division, or a separate wing of the Air Force or Marine Corps, or the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a corresponding unit of the Space Force;
  - (8) any other [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) designated by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9); or
  - (9) any other [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) in any of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) when empowered by the President.
- (b)
  - (1) If any such [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) is an [accuser](/usc/10/801.md?p=9), the [court](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A) shall be convened by superior competent authority, and may in any case be convened by such authority if considered desirable by him.
  - (2) A [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) shall not be considered an [accuser](/usc/10/801.md?p=9) solely due to the role of the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) in convening a general [court](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial to which charges and specifications were referred by a [special trial counsel](/usc/10/801.md?p=18) in accordance with this chapter.

# §823. Art. 23. Who may convene special courts-martial

- (a) Special [courts](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial may be convened by—
  - (1) any person who may convene a general [court](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial;
  - (2) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a district, garrison, fort, camp, station, Air Force or Space Force [military installation](/usc/10/183a.md?p=h-7), auxiliary air field, or other place where [members](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5) of the [Army](/usc/10/7001.md), the Air Force, or the Space Force are on duty;
  - (3) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a brigade, regiment, detached battalion, or corresponding unit of the [Army](/usc/10/7001.md);
  - (4) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a wing, group, or separate squadron of the Air Force or a corresponding unit of the Space Force;
  - (5) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of any naval or Coast Guard vessel, shipyard, base, or station; the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of any Marine brigade, regiment, detached battalion, or corresponding unit; the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of any Marine barracks, wing, group, separate squadron, station, base, auxiliary air field, or other place where [members](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5) of the Marine Corps are on duty;
  - (6) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of any separate or detached command or group of detached units of any of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) placed under a single commander for this purpose; or
  - (7) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) or [officer in charge](/usc/10/801.md?p=4) of any other command when empowered by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9).
- (b)
  - (1) If any such [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) is an [accuser](/usc/10/801.md?p=9), the [court](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A) shall be convened by superior competent authority, and may in any case be convened by such authority if considered advisable by him.
  - (2) A [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) shall not be considered an [accuser](/usc/10/801.md?p=9) solely due to the role of the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) in convening a special [court](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial to which charges and specifications were referred by a [special trial counsel](/usc/10/801.md?p=18) in accordance with this chapter.

# §824. Art. 24. Who may convene summary courts-martial

- (a) Summary [courts](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial may be convened by—
  - (1) any person who may convene a general or special [court](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial;
  - (2) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a detached company, or other detachment of the [Army](/usc/10/7001.md);
  - (3) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) of a detached squadron or other detachment of the Air Force or a corresponding unit of the Space Force; or
  - (4) the [commanding officer](/usc/10/801.md?p=3) or [officer in charge](/usc/10/801.md?p=4) of any other command when empowered by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9).
- (b) When only one [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2) is present with a command or detachment he shall be the summary [court](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial of that command or detachment and shall hear and determine all summary [court](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial cases brought before him. Summary [courts](/usc/10/704.md?p=c-3-A)-martial may, however, be convened in any case by superior competent authority when considered desirable by him.