# Does martial law = UCMJ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-martial-law-ucmj/374449>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 28, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-martial-law-ucmj/374449 "2006-09-28T01:21:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-martial-law-ucmj/374449/1 "2006-09-28T01:21:47Z")

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Martial law cannot be instituted within the United States if civilian courts are able to function, correct? So if there was a catastrophe (multiple nuclear attacks for example) and the military took over the judicial system would civilians be tried under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the state’s penal code, or a combination of the two? Would courts-martial operate like they do for military personel?

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-martial-law-ucmj/374449/2 "2006-09-28T02:54:00Z")

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[Constitutional Topic - Martial Law](http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_mlaw.html)

[Martial Law - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law)