Which statement describes Command Responsibility?

• A. Supervisory Responsibility
• B. Command Responsibility
• C. Direct Responsibility
• D. Custodial Responsibility

Answer: (B)

Command Responsibility is the duty of a commander to ensure that those under their command obey the law and to take appropriate action to prevent, report, or punish misconduct. It rests on the commander’s control over subordinates, actual or constructive knowledge of wrongdoing, and the failure to act to stop it or hold the wrongdoer accountable. This means a commander can be held responsible not only for their own actions but also for crimes committed by their subordinates if they knew or should have known and did not take proper corrective steps. This differs from Direct Responsibility, which concerns one’s own actions, and from more general terms like Supervisory or Custodial Responsibility, which don’t capture the legal duty to prevent or punish subordinate wrongdoing.