Jeff Blackett information

Jeffrey Blackett (born 20 May 1955) is a British former judge and Royal Navy officer with the rank of Commodore. He was Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces from 2004 to 2020 and among the cases over which he presided was that of "Marine A". Blackett was criticised by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) for sentencing Sgt Alexander Blackman RM to a life sentence for murder, as he failed to give the board the option to pass a lesser sentence of manslaughter. According to the report, the CCRC, which investigates miscarriages of justice, said Judge Blackett was guilty of a "material irregularity" in the original trial, due to an "apparent failure to recognise the position regarding manslaughter during the trial and to direct the board appropriately".^[1] Subsequently the Court Martial Appeal Court rejected any criticism of Blackett. They said: "We could see no basis for any criticism of the conduct of the Court Martial by the Judge Advocate General. He left the issues which had been raised by the prosecution and the defence during the hearing of the Court Martial to the Board in an entirely fair and proper manner."^[2] Alexander Blackman's murder conviction was eventually quashed in 2017 after a successful appeal.^[3]

In a previous high-profile case, Blackett also presided over the retrial in 2013 of SAS Sgt Danny Nightingale. Sgt Nightingale's first trial in 2012 resulted in a conviction for possession of an illegal weapon and a sentence of 18 months' detention in the Military Corrective Training Centre. After a public campaign and a debate in the House of Commons in which several MPs called for Nightingale's release,^[4] the conviction resulting from Nightingale's guilty plea was quashed by the Court Martial Appeal Court and a retrial was ordered. Blackett stated that he would like to impose an immediate custodial sentence. His hands were tied, however, by the previous ruling from the Court Martial Appeal Court that Sgt Nightingale should not be held in custody any longer.^[5]

He was the chief disciplinary officer at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and conducted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Bloodgate scandal after ERC had completed its disciplinary processes. He also conducted an investigation into the sacking of John Steel as CEO by the Board in 2011 in which he recommended that the Board should all resign and seek re-election. He was President of the RFU from 2020 to 2022. He was a Senior Circuit Judge from 2005 until his retirement in 2020.

^ "Marine A's murder conviction 'could be quashed'". 10 January 2017.
^ RvBlackman [2017] EWCA Crim 190 at para 113
^ "Judges quash UK marine Alexander Blackman's murder conviction". TheGuardian.com. 15 March 2017.
^ "Danny Nightingale case: Court of appeal to rule on jailed SAS soldier". TheGuardian.com. 29 November 2012.
^ Court document judiciary.uk

[1] "Marine A's murder conviction 'could be quashed'". 10 January 2017.

[2] RvBlackman [2017] EWCA Crim 190 at para 113

[3] "Judges quash UK marine Alexander Blackman's murder conviction". TheGuardian.com. 15 March 2017.

[4] "Danny Nightingale case: Court of appeal to rule on jailed SAS soldier". TheGuardian.com. 29 November 2012.

[5] Court document judiciary.uk

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