Whistleblower Aid is ready to help servicemembers understand how to respond to “manifestly unlawful orders.” A servicemember’s duty:
“A general order or regulation is lawful unless it is contrary to the Constitution, the laws of the United States, or lawful superior orders.”
— Manual for Courts-Martial, Part IV, ¶18.c.(1)(c)
“An order requiring the performance of a military duty or act may be inferred to be lawful, and it is disobeyed at the peril of the subordinate. This inference does not apply to a patently illegal order, such as one that directs the commission of a crime.”
— Manual for Courts-Martial, Part IV, ¶14.c.(2)(a)(i)“The duty to disobey an unlawful order applies only to a positive act that constitutes a crime that is so manifestly beyond the legal power or discretion of the commander as to admit of no rational doubt of their unlawfulness.”
— Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (United States v. Huet-Vaughn)
If you believe you have received a “manifestly unlawful order,” Whistleblower Aid, along with the Orders Project and others, can help you understand your rights and obligations to navigate the process.
Contact Whistleblower Aid Today
Reach out to Whistleblower Aid for support on understanding the ways to proceed. We take the security of our clients and their communications extremely seriously.
The most secure way to reach Whistleblower Aid is over a system called SecureDrop, using Tor Browser. Prospective clients can also reach us over the encrypted messaging app Signal, which allows for private communication in a wide range of situations. Our lawyers will review your communications. Initial communications between lawyers and prospective clients for the purpose of deciding whether or not to establish legal representation are protected by attorney-client privilege.
Whistleblower Aid does not accept classified information.
The Orders Project
Learn more about the Orders Project below and contact them directly via email.
