Judge Advocate Definition and Legal Meaning

On this page, you'll find the legal definition and meaning of Judge Advocate, written in plain English, along with examples of how it is used.

What is Judge Advocate?

They are the officer in US army, navy or US Air force who are also the prosecutors or attornies for all those officers in court martials. They are legal advisors to the prisoners or accused officers and trained legally for the purpose of advising or prosecuting the case, protecting them from undue questioning, the answering to which in the court may prove them guilty.

History and Meaning of Judge Advocate

The Judge Advocate position has been around since the early days of the United States military. It was created to ensure that justice was served within the military and that legal standards were upheld. The term judge advocate comes from the Latin term "judex advocatus," meaning judge advocate or advocate for a judge. In the US military, a judge advocate is an officer who has received specialized legal training and is responsible for advising commanders on all legal matters. This includes providing legal advice, prosecuting and defending soldiers in courts martial, and generally serving as a legal advisor for military issues.

Examples of Judge Advocate

  1. The judge advocate was brought in to provide legal advice on an issue of military law.
  2. The accused officer was represented by the judge advocate in the court martial proceedings.
  3. The judge advocate was responsible for prosecuting the case against the soldier who had committed a crime.

Legal Terms Similar to Judge Advocate

  1. Military Lawyer - A lawyer who practices law within the military, including serving as a judge advocate.
  2. JAG - The Judge Advocate General is a high-ranking military officer who oversees all legal matters for their respective branch of service.
  3. Court Martial - A legal proceeding used by the military to try and punish soldiers who have committed crimes.