The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, is pleased to announce the appointment of Colonel Robin Holman as the next Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

“I am pleased to welcome Colonel Robin Holman as the sixteenth Judge Advocate General. I look forward to working with Colonel Holman to deliver transformational change for the military justice system, and I extend my congratulations to him.”

The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence 

“It is an honour to be appointed as the 16th Judge Advocate General of the Canadian Armed Forces.  I am proud to lead a team of dedicated legal officers, public servants and other CAF members who, in partnership with colleagues across the Government of Canada, provide essential legal services to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence across the spectrum of military law in order to enable Defence Team activities and operations at home and abroad.”

Colonel Robin Holman, Incoming Judge Advocate General

• The appointment of the JAG is a Governor in Council appointment on the recommendation of the Minister of National Defence, under section 9 of the National Defence Act. The JAG holds this office for a term of four years.

• A Solicitation of Interest notice for the Judge Advocate General was distributed on December 22, 2022. Officers wanting to be considered for this Governor in Council appointment were invited to submit their interest to the Minister by January 27, 2023. Candidates were invited to undergo assessments and interviews, prior to the selection and appointment of the next JAG.

• Col Robin Holman joined the CAF in 1986 and the Office of the Judge Advocate General as a legal officer in February 2002.

• Col Holman served as Deputy Judge Advocate General for Military Justice until 2017, leading a team of military and civilian legal professionals responsible for supporting the JAG in their role as superintendent of the administration of military justice in the CAF. From 2017 to 2020, as the Deputy Judge Advocate General for Operational and International Law, he was responsible for the provision of legal services to all CAF international and domestic operations and to all Department of National Defence and CAF activities in the areas of national security and intelligence. In August 2020, he was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Office of the JAG and Legal Branch Advisor, a position that he held until September 2022. Since November 2021, he has served as the Acting Judge Advocate General.

• Rear-Admiral Geneviève Bernatchez, who was the first woman to be appointed as the JAG on June 28, 2017, will be retiring having completed 26 years of service as a Regular Force Legal Officer.

Associated links

• Judge Advocate General

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-904-3333
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca