The Royal Air Force Legal Services (RAFLS), also known as the Directorate of Legal Services (Royal Air Force) (DLS (RAF)), is the uniformed legal service provider for the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

(RAF). It consists of

solicitor A solicitor is a lawyer who traditionally deals with most of the legal matters in some jurisdictions. A person must have legally defined qualifications, which vary from one jurisdiction to another, to be described as a solicitor and enabled to p ...

s and

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

s qualified in either England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. The RAFLS is headquartered at Air Command RAF High Wycombe.

History

The original RAF Legal Branch was established on 28 June 1923, and was attached to the department of the Judge Advocate General. It wasn't until 1 October 1948 that the Directorate of Legal Services (RAF) was formed, independent of the Judge Advocate General’s Office. In 2022, as part of the RAF's reorganisation, the RAF Legal Branch became the RAF Legal Services. The first RAF legal officer to deploy on operations did not occur until October 1990 during Operation Granby (British military operations during the Second

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

), when then Wing Commander Richard Anthony Charles was sent to HQ British Forces Middle East in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The deployment of Charles (a future Director of Legal Services) meant that for the first time a sitting legal officer was advising senior commanders on the Rules of Engagement, Targeting, Prisoner of War Handling and other issues during live operations. Since Charles' initial deployment, RAF legal officers have continued to provide legal advice to operational commanders on a range of legal issues associated with combat and non-combat operations. While it is not a prerequisite for RAFLS legal officers to have any flying experience, a number of its members in its early years transferred to the branch following initial roles as pilots. Of particular note is Air Vice-Marshal Peter Furniss, who flew both Hurricanes and Spitfires during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, actions for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) before later serving as the RAF's Director of Legal Services.

Role

The RAFLS' mission is to deliver "high quality, effective and operationally focussed legal services to the Royal Air Force and Defence." It has around 45 legal officers; approximately one third are based overseas. The type of work undertaken by legal officers depends on the tour to which they are posted. Responsibilities include advising on domestic and

international humanitarian law International humanitarian law (IHL), also referred to as the laws of armed conflict or the laws of war, is the law that regulates the conduct of war (''wikt:jus in bello, jus in bello''). It is a branch of international law that seeks to limit ...

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...

and

space law Space law is the body of law governing space-related activities, encompassing both international and domestic agreements, rules, and principles. Parameters of space law include space exploration, liability for damage, weapons use, rescue efforts ...

, service discipline,

criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and Well-being, welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal l ...

employment law Labour laws (also spelled as labor laws), labour code or employment laws are those that mediate the relationship between workers, employing entities, trade unions, and the government. Collective labour law relates to the tripartite relationship be ...

health and safety Occupational safety and health (OSH) or occupational health and safety (OHS) is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work (i.e., while performing duties required by one's occupation). OSH is re ...

and

environmental law Environmental laws are laws that protect the environment. The term "environmental law" encompasses treaties, statutes, regulations, conventions, and policies designed to protect the natural environment and manage the impact of human activitie ...

, and

administrative law Administrative law is a division of law governing the activities of government agency, executive branch agencies of government. Administrative law includes executive branch rulemaking (executive branch rules are generally referred to as "regul ...

and policy. Legal officers also deliver legal training across the full breadth of ranks and specialisations within the RAF. The RAFLS, alongside the Army Legal Services (ALS) and Navy Legal Services, also provides a number of legal officers to the Service Prosecuting Authority, where they serve as prosecutors for the military when conducting courts-martial.

Eligibility

The RAFLS only recruits qualified solicitors and barristers; it does not accept applicants from legal executives.

Director Legal Services (RAF)

The head of the RAF Legal Services is the Director of Legal Services (RAF). They are the principal legal adviser to the Chief of the Air Staff and

Air Force Board The Air Force Board of the Defence Council is responsible for the management of the Royal Air Force. Prior to the creation of the current UK Ministry of Defence in 1964, the administration of the RAF and its personnel was undertaken by the ...

and are invited to attend the Air Force Board Standing Committee to provide a legal perspective. The current holder is Air Vice-Marshal Mark Phelps.

Directors Legal Services (RAF)

* Air Commodore John Bankes Walmsley (from 1 October 1948 as Group Captain, from 1 January 1950 to 1 January 1958 as Air Commodore) * Air Commodore Marshall William Palmer (1 January 1958 to 1 July 1962) * Air Vice-Marshal John Ernest Allen-Jones (1 July 1962 to 31 October 1970) * Air Vice-Marshal Aubrey Sidney-Wilmot (31 October 1970 to 16 January 1979) * Air Vice-Marshal Peter Furniss (16 January 1979 to 30 January 1982) * Air Vice-Marshal Graham Neil Forman (30 January 1982 to 4 August 1989) * Air Vice-Marshal Reginald Thomas Dawson (4 August 1989 to 5 January 1993) * Air Vice-Marshal Geoffrey W Carleton (5 January 1993 to 1 July 1997) * Air Vice-Marshal John Weeden (1 July 1997 to 12 August 2002) * Air Vice-Marshal Richard Anthony Charles (12 August 2002 to 9 April 2009) * Air Vice-Marshal Lindsay Irvine (9 April 2009 to 29 April 2017) * Air Vice-Marshal Alison Mardell (29 April 2017 to 29 September 2018) * Air Vice-Marshal Tamara Jennings (29 September 2018 to 27 September 2024) * Air Vice-Marshal Mark Phelps (27 September 2024 to present)

Deputy Directors Legal Services (RAF)

* Air Commodore Lindsay Irvine (7 January 2003 to 9 April 2009) * Air Commodore William Boothby (3 April 2009 to 14 July 2011) * Air Commodore Stephen Kell (14 July 2011 to 15 July 2014) * Air Commodore Alison Mardell (15 July 2014 to 29 April 2017) * Air Commodore Tamara Jennings (29 April 2017 to 29 September 2018) * Air Commodore Kevin Sanders (8 October 2018 to 7 June 2020) * Air Commodore Mark Phelps (9 October 2020 to 27 September 2024) * Air Commodore Kevin Sanders (24 October 2024 to present)

References

External links

Royal Air Force Legal Officer
{{Royal Air Force Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force Military units and formations established in 1948 Organisations based in Buckinghamshire United Kingdom military law

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...