10 USC § 824 - Art. 24. Who may convene summary courts-martial

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s824"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 824 - Art. 24. Who may convene summary courts-martial"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "824"
section_name: "Art. 24. Who may convene summary courts-martial"
chapter_number: 47
chapter_name: "UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE"
subchapter_number: "V"
subchapter_name: "COMPOSITION OF COURTS-MARTIAL"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "PERSONNEL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 45; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 924(b)(21)(C), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3824.)"
---


# § 824. Art. 24. Who may convene summary courts-martial

**(a)** Summary courts-martial may be convened by—

**(1)** any person who may convene a general or special court-martial;

**(2)** the commanding officer of a detached company, or other detachment of the Army;

**(3)** the commanding officer of a detached squadron or other detachment of the Air Force or a corresponding unit of the Space Force; or

**(4)** the commanding officer or officer in charge of any other command when empowered by the Secretary concerned.

**(b)** When only one commissioned officer is present with a command or detachment he shall be the summary court-martial of that command or detachment and shall hear and determine all summary court-martial cases brought before him. Summary courts-martial may, however, be convened in any case by superior competent authority when considered desirable by him.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 45; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 924(b)(21)(C), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3824.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 824(a)824(b) | 50:588(a).50:588(b). | May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 1 (Art. 24), 64 Stat. 116. |

In subsection (a)(4), the words “Secretary concerned” are substituted for the words “Secretary of a Department”.

In subsection (b), the words “only one commissioned” are substituted for the words “but one” for clarity. The word “considered” is substituted for the word “deemed”.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a)(3).  inserted “or a corresponding unit of the Space Force” after “Air Force”.