Defence Force Discipline Amendment (RCDVS Implementation and Related Measures No. 1) Bill 2026

Summary

Australia's military justice system is being reformed to address recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, with a focus on better protecting the mental health of Defence Force members going through disciplinary proceedings. The changes amend the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 and seven other related laws to modernise how mental health issues are handled in military courts, improve fairness and transparency in military discipline cases, and streamline how these proceedings operate. This matters because members of the Defence Force who face disciplinary action often experience high levels of psychological distress, and these reforms aim to reduce harm and suicide risk while ensuring military justice procedures meet the same fairness standards Australians expect in civilian courts.

What happens at this stage

The main debate on whether the chamber supports the broad purpose of the bill. Members speak to its overall merits and concerns rather than the fine print. The government outlines its policy intentions; the opposition and crossbench put their case. This is the stage that determines whether the bill proceeds at all.

Next: Consideration in Detail (House) or Committee of the Whole (Senate), where the bill is examined clause by clause