§ 873. Art. 73. Petition for a new trial

At any time within two years after approval by the convening authority of a court-martial sentence, the accused may petition the Judge Advocate General for a new trial on the grounds of newly discovered evidence or fraud on the court. If the accused’s case is pending before a Court of Criminal Appeals or before the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the Judge Advocate General shall refer the petition to the appropriate court for action. Otherwise the Judge Advocate General shall act upon the petition.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 63; Pub. L. 90–632, § 2(33), Oct. 24, 1968, 82 Stat. 1342; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IX, § 924(c)(1), (2), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2831; Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LIX, § 5336, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2937.) Amendment of Section

Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LIX, § 5336, title LXIII, § 5542, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2937, 2967, provided that, effective on the date designated by the President, not later than the first day of the first calendar month beginning two years after Dec. 23, 2016, with implementing regulations prescribed by the President not later than one year after Dec. 23, 2016, and with provisions relating to applicability to various situations, this section is amended by striking “two years after approval by the convening authority of a court-martial sentence” and inserting “three years after the date of the entry of judgment under section 860c of this title (article 60c)”. See 2016 Amendment note below.

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised section

Source (U.S. Code)

Source (Statutes at Large)

873

50:660.

May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 73), 64 Stat. 132.

The words “the ground” are substituted for the word “grounds”. The words “as the case may be” are substituted for the word “respectively”, since the prescribed action is alternative, not distributive.

 Amendments

2016—Pub. L. 114–328 substituted “three years after the date of the entry of judgment under section 860c of this title (article 60c)” for “two years after approval by the convening authority of a court-martial sentence”.

1994—Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “Court of Criminal Appeals” for “Court of Military Review” and “Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces” for “Court of Military Appeals”.

1968—Pub. L. 90–632 extended time during which accused may petition Judge Advocate General for a new trial from 1 to 2 years and struck out provisions which limited right to petition for a new trial to cases of death, dismissal, a punitive discharge, or a year or more in confinement.

 Effective Date of 2016 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on the date designated by the President, not later than the first day of the first calendar month beginning two years after Dec. 23, 2016, with implementing regulations prescribed by the President not later than one year after Dec. 23, 2016, and with provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.

 Effective Date of 1968 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 90–632 to apply in the case of all court-martial sentences approved by the convening authority on or after, or not more than two years before Oct. 24, 1968, see section 4(c) of Pub. L. 90–632, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.