Legal Definitions - BCD special court-martial

A BCD special court-martial is a type of military court that is convened under military authority to try someone accused of violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It is a special court-martial in which a possible punishment is a bad-conduct discharge (a “BCD”).

For example, if a member of the armed forces is accused of a noncapital offense, such as disobeying orders or theft, they may be tried in a BCD special court-martial. If found guilty, they may face a punishment that includes a bad-conduct discharge, which can have serious consequences for their military career and future employment opportunities.

It is important to note that courts-martial are not a part of the federal judicial system and are regulated by the Articles of War, Army Regulations, orders of the President, and military custom.