The Supreme Court of Canada touched on the concept of discipline within the
Armed Forces at paragraph 60 of its 1992 decision R. v. Généreux. This passage, although
possibly misused in the past, is exactly on point today. The Supreme Court of Canada stated:
The purpose of a separate system of military tribunals is to allow the Armed Forces to
deal with matters that pertain directly to the discipline, efficiency and morale of the military. The
safety and well-being of Canadians depends considerably on the willingness and readiness of a
force of men and women to defend against threats to the nation's security. To maintain the Armed
Forces in a state of readiness, the military must be in a position to enforce internal discipline
effectively and efficiently. Breaches of military discipline must be dealt with speedily and,
frequently, punished more severely than would be the case if a civilian engaged in such conduct.
In MacKay v. Rippon, [1978] 1 F.C. 233, at page 235, the Federal Court stated:
Without a code of service discipline the armed forces could not discharge the function for
which they were created. In all likelihood those who join the armed forces do so in time of war for
motives of patriotism and in time of peace against the eventuality of war. To function efficiently
as a force there must be prompt obedience to all lawful orders of superiors, concern, support for,
and concerted action with their comrades and a reverence for and a pride in the traditions of
service. All members embark upon rigorous training to fit themselves physically and mentally for
the fulfilment of the role they have chosen and paramount in that there must be rigid adherence to
discipline.