ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes key findings, discusses implications for theory and practice of military justice reform, and outlines directions for future research. The most important finding of this study is that military legal subordination has increased over time, remaining steady for much of the twentieth century until experiencing dramatic improvements coinciding with the Third Wave of democratization and again after the end of the Cold War. This progress is neither guaranteed nor unidirectional, however. Improvement and regression are observed over time, explained by the dynamic interaction between three principal domestic actors—government, military, and high courts—in a decision-making nexus, and a variety of international and domestic influences that shape the political environment. Critical junctures such as democratization and the creation of new high courts are associated with progress while security threats are associated with backsliding. Politicians and the public must resist the temptation to empower military courts to deal with security issues such as terrorism. Civil society actors must be prepared to stand up for legal, civilian approaches to dealing with security threats.
