Military aid to the civil power

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Military aid to the civil power (MACP) (sometimes to the civil authorities) is a term used to describe the use of the armed forces in support of the civil authorities of a state. The term is used in many countries, with slightly different definitions and implications in each.


Under certain circumstances, the Australian Defence Force can be called upon assist with law enforcement. State or Territory civilian police have primary responsibility for law and order. Under section 119 of the Constitution of Australia, "The Commonwealth shall protect every State against invasion and, on the application of the Executive Government of the State, against domestic violence." This is further explained in section 51 of the Defence Act which states that:


Military forces have been deployed twice on the request of State or Territory governments, and deployment authorised on one other occasion but not required:

Australian Military Regulations also allow the Federal government to use military forces "on its own initiative, for the protection of its servants or property, or the safeguarding of its interests". This has been done three times:



Canada has provisions, similar to the UK's Military Aid to the Civil Authorities, for military aid to the civil power inscribed in its National Defence Act, an historical inheritance from its days as a British dominion. However, the application is significantly different due to the federal nature of Canada, where the maintenance of "law and order" is the exclusive right and responsibility of the provinces.

The political authority empowered to requisition military aid is therefore the Solicitor General of the affected province, which was provided for under the War Measures Act and currently the Emergencies Act. This request is forwarded directly to the Chief of the Defence Staff (not to the federal government of Canada) who is obliged by law to execute the request. However, the Chief of the Defence Staff alone can determine the nature and level of forces to be committed.

The requesting province may subsequently be billed to pay the cost of the military aid, although the federal government, which does not want to appear "cheap" after a major crisis affecting a province, most often waives it. One exception in recent years resulted from Toronto mayor Mel Lastman's request for military assistance following a snow storm in 1999, whereby 300 reservists were activated to assist in snow removal after the Ontario government acceded; this deployment was deemed by the Canadian government to be a trivialization of the military's emergency response role and the requesting authority was billed accordingly.


They are also called out in the case of police strikes in those provinces that have unionised provincial police forces. Quebec has not hesitated to call on the Army for such help because the Army is the only other agency with French speaking members able to replace striking police; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has few reserves able to provide a "surge" capability, and its French-speaking capability is more limited.


The federal government can and does use the military in aid of its own responsibilities, such as guarding federal buildings and facilities. Since 1993, the Canadian Forces have also provided the country's federal counter-terrorist forces, replacing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in that function. (See JTF2 for details of request and control of this capability).











In 2008 the Italian Government decided to use soldiers from the Army, Navy and Air Force to patrol the cities and protect risky buildings (embassies, consulates, monuments). When they patrol the cities they are always accompanied with an agent from the Polizia di Stato (State Police), a military from the Carabinieri or a military from Guardia di Finanza.[2]

It must be reminded that Carabinieri are the 4th Armed force in Italy while Guardia di Finanza are a military body.

United Kingdom[edit]


United States[edit]





See also[edit]


  2. ^ [1]