Royal Air Force Legal Branch | |
---|---|
Founded | 1 October 1948 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Type | Legal service |
Headquarters | RAF High Wycombe |
Commanders | |
Current Director | Air Vice Marshal L J Irvine |
The Royal Air Force Legal Branch (RAFLB) or Directorate Legal Services (DLS) - as it is better known - is the uniformed legal service provider for the Royal Air Force. It consists of solicitors and barristers qualified in a Commonwealth jurisdiction. DLS is headquartered at Air Command RAF High Wycombe. The Directorate is currently staffed by a mixture of members of:
- The Law Society of England and Wales;
- The Law Society of Scotland;
- The Bar Council of England and Wales; and
- The Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet.
History[]
The RAF Legal Branch was formed on 1 October 1948. Its predecessor was the Air Force Department of the Office of Judge Advocate General.[1]
Role[]
It is open to men or women; those that have been recruited vary from NQ to 10 years PQE. DLS has around 50 legal officers. Around 30% of DLS officers are based in overseas billets. The type of work undertaken by legal officers depends on the billet they are working at. Around 50% of the billets are discipline / criminal law, 30% of the billets are operations law and 20% of the billets are administrative law. The RAF also provides 4 Legal Officers to the Service Prosecuting Authority.
Staff[]
The current Director Legal Services is Air Vice Marshal L J Irvine and his deputy is Air Commodore S J Kell.
Start of appointment | Director | Deputy Director |
---|---|---|
July 2011 | Air Vice Marshal Lindsay J Irvine MA(Oxon) MA(Lond) DipLaw RAF | Air Commodore S J Kell RAF[2] |
April 2009 | Air Vice Marshal Lindsay J Irvine MA(Oxon) MA(Lond) DipLaw RAF[3] | Air Commodore William H Boothby BA PhD RAF |
Air Vice-Marshal Charles RAF | Air Commodore Irvine J Irvine MA(Oxon) MA(Lond) DipLaw RAF |
Career[]
The career structure of a legal officer within DLS is as follows. Commissioning on a short service commission as a Flight Lieutenant after a 3 month PQO course at RAF Cranwell. If the candidate is suitable then appointment to a permanent commission should follow and time served promotion should apply - i.e. Squadron Leader after four years and Wing Commander after a further six.
References[]
- ↑ "Legal services". raf.mod.uk. October 8, 2008. http://www.raf.mod.uk/legalservices/index.html. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
- ↑ "Air Rank Appointments List 01/11". raf.mod.uk. http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/2ADB23D4_5056_A318_A818EBDF8D819134.doc. Retrieved 09-02-2011.
- ↑ "AIR RANK APPOINTMENTS LIST 09/08". raf.mod.uk. http://google.com/search?q=cache:QcQ7okw7jtkJ:www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/4EFACB45_1143_EC82_2ECB7D6CB7A4A842.doc+Air+Vice+Marshal+Irvine&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
External links[]
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The original article can be found at RAF Legal Branch and the edit history here.