Rules of Engagement - Doesn't Starfleet have a JAG unit/corp?

[desfem79]

Whilst Sisko is evidently a stellar (no pun intended) captain and military strategist, he did poorly as a laywer lol... Worf only got off due to Odo's resourcefulness, and the Klingon lawyer made far more sound arguments.

But shouldn't each sector, or at least each important installation have a dedicated JAG officer?

 

[Worf'sParmach]

In "reality" I'm sure they would, but then we as viewers wouldn't get to see a main character lead the episode, it would have been two guests. And we wouldn't get to see Avery Brooks get loud like only he can.

On a side note, I found the Klingon lawyer very interesting. We really only ever see the soldiers of the Empire, but there is no way Klingons could have such a vast and successful space traveling society without other occupations as well. Doctors, engineers, educators, etc.

 

[Jono]

Starfleet does have a JAG, we saw him in "Dr Bashir, I Presume".

As for this case, Sisko does have previous form given he tried to defend Dax in season 1, despite her not really wanting it. Again it was Odo's detective work that found the hidden evidence to win the case.

 

[warriorsfan]

Whilst Sisko is evidently a stellar (no pun intended) captain and military strategist, he did poorly as a laywer lol... Worf only got off due to Odo's resourcefulness, and the Klingon lawyer made far more sound arguments.

But shouldn't each sector, or at least each important installation have a dedicated JAG officer?

Each sector does have a JAG officer. In TNG's "Measure of a Man," Captain Louvois was the JAG for Sector 23 and based out of Starbase 173.

You can probably come up with a reasonable explanation for why Worf didn't have a JAG representing him. Maybe the JAG for the sector was based elsewhere, since DS9 only had a few hundred Starfleet personnel and you could theorize that perhaps it would have taken too long to get a real JAG officer to DS9.

In the real world US Navy, units/ships that don't have a JAG will typically have a "Legal Officer", who could be any officer regardless of their job designation who is not a lawyer but handles legal affairs in their unit as a collateral (extra) duty. They attend a three-week course to lean about the fundamentals of the military justice system. Now these Legal Officers are not lawyers and are not licensed to practice law and would certainly never defend anyone at trial, but in the world of Star Trek, perhaps they can do those things in situations where time is of the essence and there are no real lawyers close by. We could further hypothesize that Sisko was the Starfleet equivalent of a US Navy "legal officer" on DS9.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

The sector JAG office could've had its hands full trying to deal with the fallout of the incident. Besides it looks as though Admiral T'Lara was from JAG, so having a four star admiral oversee proceedings would keep Sisko in line with his duties as defence.

 

[USS Triumphant]

The legal profession might be less prominent in a world without money, not to mention in a time after humanity decided at one point to kill all the lawyers.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Each sector does have a JAG officer. In TNG's "Measure of a Man," Captain Louvois was the JAG for Sector 23 and based out of Starbase 173.

And in fact that very episode set the precedent:

PICARD: What if I challenge this ruling?
PHILLIPA: Then I shall be required to hold a hearing.
PICARD: Then I so challenge. Convene your hearing.
PHILLIPA: Captain, that would be exceedingly difficult. This is a new base. I have no staff.
PICARD: But surely, Captain, you have regulations to take care of such an eventuality.
PHILLIPA: There are. I can use serving officers as legal counsel. You as the senior officer would defend.
PICARD: Very good.
PHILLIPA: And the unenviable task of prosecuting this case would fall on you, Commander, as the next most senior officer of the defendant's ship.

So if there was no JAG lawyer available, Admiral T'Lara could appoint Sisko as the defence counsel since he was the senior officer at Worf's posting.

The legal profession might be less prominent in a world without money, not to mention in a time after humanity decided at one point to kill all the lawyers.

<Lionel Hutz>
Can you imagine a world without lawyers?

*shudder*
</Lionel Hutz>