Judge Advocate General's Office: Courts Martial Proceedings...

WO 71

1668-2004

This series comprises:

Minutes of the proceedings of the Board of General Officers, with entries of warrants, letters, etc, 1706-1807.

Papers of the original proceedings of the Judge Advocate General's Office in courts martial from 1668. These include warrants, letters, depositions, etc, with some special returns from Ireland, 1800-1820, and cases relating to the Easter Rising of 1916 and Irish rebellion, 1920-1921.

Entry books detailing the proceedings held at Horseguards; the proceedings held away from Horseguards, in home and foreign stations; and the proceedings of the marching regiments; from 1692-1796.

Cases against individual officers, 1780-1824, prepared for special submission to the Sovereign. They were deemed special usually because of seniority of rank.

The naming of a courts martial defendant within this catalogue does not imply guilt.

For further Board of General Officer's minutes see: PRO 30/26/87 PRO 30/26/88

Public Record(s)

English

• Board of General Officers, 1706-1855
• Judge Advocate Generals Office, 1660-1905
• Ministry of Defence, 1947-1947
• Ministry of Defence, Army Department, 1964-1964
• War Office, Judge Advocate Generals Office, 1905-1923
• War Office, Office of the Judge Advocate General, 1923-1935
• War Office, Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Forces, 1935-1948

1620 files and volumes

Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated

Topics

Litigation

Army

Conflict

Treason and rebellion

Ireland

Armed Forces (General Administration)

Papers for the period 1851-1914 are understood to have been destroyed by bombing in 1940, except for WO 71/343. Brief details can be obtained from various series of registers and reports, see WO 86-92 inclusive. Later files have been selected on the basis that they contain information on one or more of the following: murder, manslaughter, treason, sedition or riot; offences resulting in the imposition of a custodial sentence of five years or more; mutiny and insubordination resulting in a sentence of two years or more; cases relating to terrorist activities; cases considered to be of historic interest

Section 359 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 provides for a posthumous pardon of any person executed for specific disciplinary offences during the First World War for the period beginning with 4 August 1914 and ending with 11 November 1918. Section 359 stipulates that the pardon does not affect any conviction or sentence, give rise to any rights, entitlement or liability or affect the prerogative of mercy. The National Archives undertook an exercise in 2007 to add pardon sheets to the affected files.

• British Army: Courts Martial, 17th-20th Centuries <a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/army-courts-17th-20th.htm">Go to our research guidance</a>
• Information on the outcome of courts martial proceedings can be found in other series within this division. For guidance see