How the US bypasses British courts to try its military over crimes in the UK

The American military personnel can sometimes bypass the British legal system, even when their alleged offences took place when they were off duty. So why is this happening? And are UK law enforcement authorities abandoning their responsibility to investigate and prosecute crimes that have occurred on UK soil? What crimes do US military personnel commit in the UK and how are they prosecuted? The Guardian has identified a wide range of convictions of US service members, including sexual assaults, paedophilia, indecent exposure, violent attacks, drink-driving, speeding and driving a uninsured car. A significant number of these crimes have involved British victims and were committed outside US military bases. Many perpetrators were prosecuted in American military courts within these US bases. The hearings – known as courts martial – are held behind heavily guarded perimeter fences. The public are not able to freely walk into a court martial and listen to proceedings, as they could if it was a British criminal hearing. What is the court martial system? The concept of a court martial is to instil order and discipline among armed forces – a notion that has existed since Roman times. It gives US military commanders the ability to convene a hearing to try military personnel accused of wrongdoing. These trials take place in a different legal system from civilian courts. …