Which form of court-martial can be presided by a military judge alone?

• A. General
• B. Panel
• C. Summary
• D. Special

Answer: (D)

In the military justice system, who decides the case can vary: some trials are heard by a judge alone, others involve a panel of members. The form that can be presided by a military judge without any panel is the special court-martial. In this setup, the military judge handles the trial by themselves, deciding both guilt and any sentence, with no members present.

This differs from a general court-martial, which always includes a panel of officers (in addition to a military judge) and from a summary court-martial, which is an expedited process presided over by a single officer who acts as the presiding officer, not a military judge. The special court-martial sits as the format where a judge-alone proceeding is permissible, hence it’s the best answer.