Fortieth Kenneth J. Hodson lecture in criminal law: Military justice

• Author: Blaise Cathcart
• Position: Was a Brigadier-General when he gave this lecture but was promoted to Major-General on October 29, 2012
• Pages: 231-240

2013] FORTIETH HODSON LECTURE 231

FORTIETH KENNETH J. HODSON LECTURE IN CRIMINAL

LAW1

MILITARY JUSTICE

MAJOR-GENERAL BLAISE CATHCART*

* Major-General Blaise Cathcart was a Brigadier-General when he gave this lecture but

was promoted to Major-General on October 29, 2012. Major-General Blaise Cathcart

was born in Exeter, Ontario, in 1961. He is a graduate of Saint Mary's University in

Halifax, NS, (Bachelor of Arts (Hons)), University of Ottawa (Master of Arts), and

Dalhousie Law School (Bachelor of Law). Major-General Cathcart articled with the law

firm of Huestis Holm, Dartmouth, NS, in 1988.

Major-General Cathcart was called to the Bar of Nova Scotia in August 1989. He

worked in private practice with the law firm of Boyne Clarke in Dartmouth until he

enrolled in the Canadian Forces as a member of the Office of the Judge Advocate

General (JAG) in 1990.

Since 1990, Major-General Cathcart has served in a number of positions with the

Office of the JAG, including: Assistant Judge Advocate Atlantic Region (1990–91);

Directorate of Law/Claims (1991–92); Directorate of Law/Human Rights and

Information (1992–93); Deputy Judge Advocate Pacific Region (1993–96); Deputy Judge

Advocate Prairie Region (1996–97); Director of Operational Law (1997–2003); post-

graduate studies (LL.M.) in International Law at the London School of Economics and

Political Science, London, England (2003–2004); the Special Assistant to the JAG

(2004–2005); and Director of International Law (2005–2006). He was promoted to the

rank of Colonel in June 2006 and served as the Deputy Legal Advisor and General

Counsel–Military in the Office of the Legal Advisor to the Department of National

Defence and the Canadian Forces (2006–2007); Second Language training (2007–2008);

the Deputy Judge Advocate General/Operations (2008–2010). He was promoted to the

rank of Brigadier-General in April 2010, before to his appointment to the position of

Judge Advocate General on April 14, 2010.

He has deployed as legal advisor to the Commander, Canadian Contingent UN

Protection Force (UNPROFOR) and the UN Peace Forces (UNPF) in the former

Yugoslavia in 1994 and 1995. Major-General Cathcart deployed as the Senior Legal

Advisor to the Commander, Canadian Task Force Bosnia-Herzegovina (SFOR) from

February to September 2000. He was the legal advisor to Joint Task Force 2, the

Canadian Forces Counter-Terrorism/Special Operations unit from 1997 -- 2000. Major-

General Cathcart is eternally grateful for the many years of support from his family and

spouse, Ms. Valerie Jones. He and Valerie currently live in Ottawa.

1 Established at The Judge Advocate General’s School on June 24, 1971, the Kenneth J.

Hodson Chair of Criminal Law was named after Major General Hodson who served as

The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army, from 1967 to 1971. General Hodson retired in

1971, but immediately was recalled to active duty to serve as the Chief Judge of the

Army Court of Military Review. He served in that position until March 1974. General

Hodson served over thirty years on active duty, and he was a member of the original staff

and faculty of The Judge Advocate General’s School in Charlottesville, Virginia. When

the Judge Advocate General’s Corps was activated as a regiment in 1986, General

Hodson was selected as the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment.