RAF Legal Branch

The Royal Air Force Legal Branch (RAFLB) or Directorate Legal Services (DLS) - as it is better known - is the uniformed "legal service provider" for the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom. It consists of professionally qualified officers (PQO); that is to say, solicitors and barristers qualified in a Commonwealth jurisdiction. The Directorate will celebrate its 60th anniversary later this year, with a limited edition military style commemorative coin being struck in its honour (not legal tender).

Role

It is open to men or women; those that have been recruited vary from NQ to 10 years PQE. DLS has around 50 legal officers. Around 30% of DLS officers are based in overseas billets. The type of work undertaken by legal officers depends on the billet they are working at. Around 50% of the billets are discipline / criminal law, 30% of the billets are operations law and 20 % of the billets are administrative law. DLS provides the RAF with an exchange officer based in the Pentagon, currently a Writer to the Signet.

Staff

The current director is Air Vice Marshal Charles CB LLB FRAeS RAF. DLS is headquartered at RAF High Wycombe.

Career

The career structure of a legal officer within DLS is as follows. Commissioning on a short service commission as a Flight Lieutenant after a 3 month PQO course at RAF Cranwell. If the candidate is suitable then appointment to a permanent commission should follow and time served promotion should apply - i.e. Squadron Leader after four years and Wing Commander after a further six. The pay is the same as the Administrative Secretariat Branch.

External links

* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/legalservices/index.html| Home page of the RAF Legal Branch]