Army Legal Services Branch

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Army Legal Services Branch
Cap Badge of the former Army Legal Corps
Active1978, 1992 within AGC
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchBritish Army
SizeApprox. 120 Commissioned Officers
Part ofAdjutant General's Corps
Garrison/HQMarlborough Lines, Andover
Motto(s)Justitia in Armis
MarchScales of Justice
Commanders
DirectorRichard Allen
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash

The Army Legal Services Branch (ALS) is a branch of the Adjutant-General's Corps (AGC) in the British Army. Before 1992, the branch existed as the independent Army Legal Corps (ALC).

History[edit]

Many of the functions of the ALS were once carried out by the Judge Advocate General (JAG) whose own origins can be traced back to medieval times. Following World War I, the growing demand for legal services within the army led in 1923 to the creation of the Military Department of the Office of the Judge Advocate General.[1]

The Directorate of Army Legal Services was formed from the JAG's office on 1 October 1948 and would go on to receive full corps status as the Army Legal Corps on 1 November 1978. It was always the smallest corps in the Army. On 6 April 1992, the corps became the Army Legal Services Branch of the Adjutant General's Corps, but retains a separate identity and its own cap badge.[1]

Activities[edit]

Army Legal Services Branch is a group of qualified solicitors, barristers and Scottish advocates providing legal support to the Army.[2]

List of directors general[edit]

Major General Alex Taylor, former Director Army Legal Services Branch

The head of the Army Legal Services Branch is its Director. The Director General holds the rank of major general.

Directors General
Date of appointment Name
Major-General G. A. Whiteley CBE
13 July 1969 Major-General H. Owen[3]
19 July 1971 Major-General R. S. Marshall TD[3]
30 July 1973 Major-General J. C. Robertson[4]
2 Jul 1976 Major-General D. S. Appleby[5]
6 Nov 1978 Major-General J. A. McIlvenna CB[6]
12 Nov 1980 Major-General Sir David Hughes-Morgan Bt. CB, CBE[7]
24 Feb 1984 Major-General J. F. Bowman[7]
3 Dec 1986 Major-General T. Fugard[8]
8 Jan 1990 Major-General D. H. D. Selwood[9]
4 May 1992 Major-General Mike H. F. Clarke[10]
20 Apr 1994 Major-General A. P. V. Rogers[11]
1 Apr 1997 Major-General Gordon Risius CB [12]
20 Jan 2003 Major-General David Howell CB, OBE[13]
1 Oct 2010 Major-General Michael Conway CB[14]
30 Sept 2015 Major-General Susan Ridge[15]
5 July 2019 Major-General Alexander Taylor[16]
1 January 2024 Major-General Richard A. Allen[17]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "ALS history". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  2. ^ "ALS role". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b "No. 45427". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 July 1971. p. 7764.
  4. ^ "No. 46051". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 August 1973. p. 9717.
  5. ^ "No. 46953". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 1976. p. 9289.
  6. ^ "No. 47681". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 November 1978. p. 13294.
  7. ^ a b "No. 49658". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 February 1984. p. 2875.
  8. ^ "No. 50740". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1986. p. 15868.
  9. ^ "No. 52023". The London Gazette. 22 January 1990. p. 958.
  10. ^ "No. 52917". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 May 1992. p. 8159.
  11. ^ "No. 53652". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 April 1994. p. 6161.
  12. ^ "No. 54745". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 April 1997. p. 4766.
  13. ^ "No. 56837". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 February 2003. p. 1389.
  14. ^ "No. 59565". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 October 2010. p. 19215.
  15. ^ "No. 61372". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 October 2015. p. 18566.
  16. ^ "No. 62706". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 July 2019. p. 12170.
  17. ^ "No. 64289". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 January 2024. p. 770.

External links[edit]