Military's first female judge advocate general says arrival sends a message

Commodore Genevieve Bernatchez, Canada's first female judge advocate general. (Canadian Armed Forces)

OTTAWA -- The new head of Canada's military justice system says her appointment shows the Forces is serious about accepting and valuing women in uniform.

Commodore Genevieve Bernatchez is the Canadian Armed Forces' first female judge advocate general, or JAG.

She takes over as senior leaders have been pushing for the military to add more women in uniform and within the senior ranks.

The military justice system is also in the midst of its first full review in decades, in part due to complaints about how the system has handled sexual misconduct in the ranks.

Bernatchez says there's no denying she will bring a different perspective and approach to military justice than her male predecessors.

But she says she's reserving judgment on exactly what needs to change until the review is completed later this summer.