1923-2023: The Royal Air Force and 100 years of Legal Officers – a developing role in a century of change

Abstract

Five years after the Royal Air Force (RAF) celebrated its centennial, its Legal Services marked the same milestone in 2023. While the RAF has had a constant need for uniformed lawyers since, how it has employed them in the past and how it will in the present and future has changed considerably. This paper will demonstrate the evolving role of the RAF’s Legal Officers, how unfolding conflicts and the development of international law and domestic policy have impacted that role, and the overarching challenges faced by the RAF’s Legal Officers today and in the future.