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insight<br />
Utilisation <strong>of</strong> Reserve<br />
Force military legal<br />
practitioners<br />
Legal eagles<br />
By Brig Gen Koos Botha (Ret),<br />
Reserve Force Project Officer at<br />
Military Legal Services Division<br />
The Reserve Force component<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Military<br />
Legal Services Division<br />
has in recent years<br />
expanded noticeably,<br />
which has resulted in an<br />
improvement <strong>of</strong> the<br />
overall output <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Division. To date 104<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers have successfully<br />
completed the<br />
Advanced Military Law Course; 68<br />
have passed the Military Orientation<br />
Course and nine <strong>of</strong>ficers have also<br />
successfully completed the Law <strong>of</strong><br />
Armed Conflict (LOAC) Course as<br />
presented by the <strong>Defence</strong> Institute for<br />
International Legal Studies (DIILS).<br />
One senior member, Col Victor<br />
Sibeko, attended an international<br />
judge advocate's course in the USA<br />
during 2003.<br />
The stage has now been reached<br />
where some <strong>of</strong> these <strong>of</strong>ficers have<br />
already been called up for service as<br />
military legal practitioners (MLPs).<br />
Some 56 <strong>of</strong>ficers have already rendered<br />
more than 60 days' non-continuous<br />
service. Fifty <strong>of</strong> these <strong>of</strong>ficers are<br />
from the previously disadvantaged<br />
communities. The majority <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
have been assigned and utilised<br />
as prosecution counsel. The others<br />
have been assigned and utilised as<br />
defence counsel, military judges and<br />
senior military judges.<br />
These Reserve Force <strong>of</strong>ficers have<br />
already made an appreciable impact<br />
on a roll.<br />
on service rendering at the Legal<br />
Satellite Offices (Legsatos) where they<br />
have been employed to date. The <strong>of</strong>ficers<br />
assigned as military judges were<br />
responsible for the finalisation <strong>of</strong><br />
more than one hundred cases during<br />
the course <strong>of</strong> last year. The group <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers utilised as prosecution counsel<br />
was involved in the finalisation <strong>of</strong><br />
some one hundred and fifty cases.<br />
These positive results from the<br />
Reserve Force <strong>of</strong>ficers have facilitated<br />
their acceptance as fully-fledged and<br />
respected <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> the Legsatos and<br />
the Military Legal Services Division as<br />
a whole. Their contributions have<br />
been noted and are appreciated<br />
throughout the Division.<br />
36<br />
Reserve Force <strong>of</strong>ficers attending the Advanced Military Law Course - back, fltr: Lt J.P.J. Baartman,<br />
Lt M.A. Mamaregane, Lt M.W. Twani, Lt W.T. Mabunda, Lt M.E. Dladla, Lt N.V. Makgoka, Lt E.M. Mello, Lt W.T. Rakau<br />
and Lt C.G. Manamela. Front, fltr: Lt N.L. Tshikotshi, Lt R.E. Mapheto, Maj B.P. Thomas (Course Chairperson),<br />
Capt M.M. Mamashela and Capt M.R. Mothapo.<br />
S A S O L D I E R A P R I L 2 0 0 4
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