What type of court-martial can be described as less formal and typically for minor offenses?

The correct answer is the Summary Court-Martial, which is specifically designed to handle minor offenses within the military justice system in a more streamlined and less formal manner compared to other types of court-martials.

Summary Court-Martials are typically presided over by a single officer and are intended for cases where the accused is facing less serious charges, allowing for quicker resolutions. This type of court-martial provides a simplified process that is advantageous for both the accused and the military when dealing with relatively low-level offenses that do not warrant the more severe and formal procedures of a General or Special Court-Martial.

In contrast, a General Court-Martial is meant for the most serious offenses and involves a formal trial that includes a military judge and a panel of officers, which makes it more complex and time-consuming. A Special Court-Martial is also more formal and is utilized for intermediate offenses that may carry significant penalties but still allow for a more elaborate trial process than a Summary Court-Martial. Field Court-Martials, while they may also have some informal aspects, are used in specific military contexts and are not as commonly referenced in standard military law compared to the Summary Court-Martial.

Thus, the Summary Court-Martial stands out as the least formal