In Brief
A soldier was convicted by Summary Court Martial on three charges of misconduct and reduced in rank. Later, the army terminated his service through an administrative order under Section 20 of the Army Act, treating the charges as fraudulent. He challenged this as double jeopardy, arguing he could not be punished twice for the same offence. The Supreme Court upheld the dismissal, holding that administrative powers under Section 20 are independent from court martial authority. Since his court martial order was never formally confirmed, the administrative action was lawful. Double jeopardy applies only after a court martial verdict is confirmed; unconfirmed orders do not bar subsequent administrative action.
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