Evaluation of the Military Justice and Grievances Training Programs Summary
September 2025
1258-3-073 (ADM(RS))
Reviewed by ADM(RS) in accordance with the Access to Information Act. Information UNCLASSIFIED.
Table of Contents
Evaluation Scope
This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Evaluation of the Military Justice and Grievances Training Programs (MJGTP), covering Fiscal Years (FY) 2019/20 to 2024/25, and represents the first evaluation conducted on these training programs. This evaluation responds to Recommendation 100 from the Third Independent Review of the National Defence Act (IR3), conducted by the Honourable Morris J. Fish. The evaluation scope reflects key considerations outlined in IR3 Recommendation 100, including the design, delivery and effectiveness of all four identified MJGTP modules. This evaluation was named in the Department of National Defence Five-Year Evaluation Plan (FY 2023/24 to FY 2027/28) and follows the 2016 Treasury Board Policy on Results. The training modules assessed were:
- Military Justice – Unit Level (MJUL) training, owned by the Judge Advocate General
- Victim’s Liaison Officer (VLO) Course, owned by Chief Professional Conduct and Culture
- Assisting Member Course training for grievances, owned by Chief Professional Conduct and Culture
- Basic Military Qualification/Basic Military Officer Qualification, owned by Chief Military Personnel
Alternate Formats
Assistant Deputy Minister (Review Services)
Program Overview
The MJGTP courses are essential to maintaining discipline, efficiency and morale in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). These programs ensure CAF members understand and apply military justice and grievance principles, reinforcing accountability and fairness in systems that uphold operational effectiveness and the rule of law.
Modernization efforts align the Military Justice System with Canadian values and the evolving civilian justice system. Recent legislative reforms, including Bill C-77 coming into force, strengthened victims’ rights, introduced the summary hearing process to streamline disciplinary actions and refined court martial procedures for fairness and transparency.
The MJUL training course is a foundational component of military justice education, equipping and empowering CAF personnel to administer the system effectively and support CAF personnel navigating the Military Justice System. Additionally, the VLO role was introduced as a secondary duty to support victims, with qualifying members completing online instructor-led training. VLOs serve as a crucial gateway by connecting victims to legal, crisis and emotional support services.
The CAF grievance system permits and supports members to formally object to decisions, acts or omissions that affect them personally. By providing a structured avenue to voice concerns and seek redress, it provides a pivotal role in fostering trust, accountability and organizational transparency.
Key Findings
- Low levels of general awareness and program outreach amid profound transformations has constrained the full achievement of the intended training outcomes.
- Course graduates are confident they can achieve their post-training objectives. However, courses lack either feedback mechanisms or implementation plans to support continuous improvement.
- The efficiencies and accessibilities gained by delivering MJGTP virtually has precluded the option of practical exercises to further solidify the content, which was a recommendation contained in IR3.
- Knowledge retention could be improved through recertification requirements, course refreshers, and consolidated resources.
- Course participants noted concerns related to the time required to complete the courses and to absorb dense course content, sometimes resulting in workload and scheduling conflicts.
Conclusive Assessment
Despite significant transformational efforts and the redesign of specific course modules, a general lack of awareness among key populations persists, underscoring the need for enhanced communication and outreach initiatives to ensure the full achievement of intended training outcomes. While it appears as though the current supply of trained personnel meets operational demand, gaps in post-training data collection and analysis obstruct the assessment of trainee performance and course effectiveness. Although course graduates generally expressed confidence in their roles, the absence of systematic end-user feedback and post-course completion data limits opportunities for continuous improvements and adaptation.
While virtual training delivery is innately cost-effective and has increased course graduate throughput, it has also restricted practical exercises in some cases, which are crucial for reinforcing course content. Addressing gaps in awareness, data collection, feedback mechanisms, practical application and retention of knowledge strategies is critical to strengthening program performance.