Armed Forces Act 1971

Part I — Duration of Services Acts

Duration of Army Act 1955, Air Force Act 1955 and Naval Discipline Act 1957

1

Part II — Revision of Service Offences and Punishments

Misconduct in action and other offences arising out of military etc. service

Misconduct in action, assisting the enemy, obstructing operations, etc.

2

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Prize offences

3

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Offences by or in relation to sentries, persons on watch etc.

4

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Failure to attend for duty, neglect of duty etc.

5

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Looting

6

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Mutiny, insubordination, etc.

Mutiny

7

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Insubordinate behaviour, and disobedience to lawful commands

8

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Obstruction of provost officers etc.

9

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Disobedience to standing orders etc.

10

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Desertion, absence without leave, etc.

Desertion

11

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Absence without leave

12

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Failure to report or apprehend deserters or absentees

13

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Malingering, drunkenness and disorderly conduct

Malingering

14

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Drunkenness

15

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Disorderly conduct

16

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Offences relating to service etc. property

Service etc. property: damage, loss, misapplication and waste

17

• (1) The following provisions shall be substituted for sections 44 to 46 of the Army Act 1955:—

(44) (1) Any person subject to military law who— (a) wilfully damages or causes the loss of, or service is concerned in the wilful damage or loss property of, any public or service property, or any etc. property belonging to another person so subject, or (b) by wilful neglect causes or allows damage to, or the loss of, any public or service property or property so belonging, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act. (2) Any person subject to military law who— (a) by any negligent act or omission causes or allows damage to, or the loss of, any public or service property, or (b) is guilty of any wilful or negligent act or omission which is likely to cause damage to, or the loss of, any such property, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act. (44A) (1) Without prejudice to the generality of section 44 above, a person subject to military law shall be guilty of an offence against this section if he— (a) wilfully damages or causes the loss of, or is material. concerned in the wilful damage or loss of, any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (b) by wilful neglect causes or allows damage to, or the loss of, any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (c) without lawful authority disposes of any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (d) by any negligent act or omission causes or allows damage to, or the loss of, any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (e) is guilty of any wilful or negligent act or omission which is likely to cause damage to, or the loss of, any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (f) during a state of war, wilfully and without proper occasion, or negligently, causes the sequestration by or under the authority of a neutral state, or the destruction in a neutral state, of any of Her Majesty’s aircraft. (2) A person guilty of an offence against this section shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable— (a) if his offence consisted in an act or omission falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (1), or if it consisted in an act or omission falling within paragraph (f) of that subsection and it is proved that he acted wilfully or with wilful neglect, to imprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act; (b) in any other case, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act. (45) Any person subject to military law who misapplies or wastefully expends any public or service property shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act. (46) (1) Any person subject to military law makes away with (whether by pawning, selling, destroying or in any other way), or loses, or by negligence damages or allows to be damaged— (a) any clothing, arms, ammunition or other equipment issued to him for his use for military purposes, or (b) any military, air-force or naval decoration granted to him, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act. (2) It shall be a defence for a person charged under this section with losing any property that he took reasonable steps for its care and preservation.

• (2) The provisions set out in subsection (1) above shall also be substituted for sections 44 to 46 of the Air Force Act 1955, but modified for that purpose by the substitution throughout of “air-force law” for “military law” and, in the provision to become section 46 of that Act, of “air-force purposes” for “military purposes” and “air-force, military or naval decoration” for “military, air-force or naval decoration”.

• (3) The provisions set out in subsection (1) above and numbered there as sections 44, 44A and 45 shall also be substituted for sections 29 and 30 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957, being numbered as sections 29, 29A and 30 of that Act respectively, and being modified for that purpose by the substitution throughout of “person subject to this Act” for “person subject to military law” and of “punishment authorised by this Act” for “punishment provided by this Act”, by the substitution, in the provision to become section 29A, of “29” for “44”, and by the omission throughout of “on conviction by court-martial”.

Billeting offences

Billeting offences

18

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Navigation and flying offences etc.

Loss or hazarding of ship

19

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Inaccurate certification of ships and aircraft

20

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Low flying, and annoyance by flying

21

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Offences relating to, and by, persons in custody

Permitting escape, resisting arrest, and escaping

22

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Miscellaneous offences

Offences in relation to courts-martial

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Unauthorised disclosure of information

24

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False statements on entry into Royal Navy

25

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Falsification of documents

26

Offences against civilian population

27

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Offences against morale

28

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Scandalous conduct by officers

29

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Ill-treatment of persons of inferior rank etc.

30

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Disgraceful conduct

31

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Attempts, aiding and abetting etc., and inciting

32

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Conduct to the prejudice of service discipline

33

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Civil offences

34

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Abolition of certain offences

Abolition of certain offences

35

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Punishments

Punishments for army and air-force offences dealt with by courts-martial

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Punishments for army and air-force offences dealt with summarily

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Punishments for naval offences

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Imprisonment and detention: consecutive terms

39

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Detention for army and air-force offences: limitation of total period

40

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Other provisions

Time for trial of offences under section 42 of Naval Discipline Act 1957

41

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Naval offences by civilians

42

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Consequential, and minor, amendments

43

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Part III — REVISION OF PROCEDURAL PROVISIONS, AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO SERVICE OFFENCES AND PUNISHMENTS

Arrest by civil authorities

44

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Exclusion of enactments requiring fiat of Attorney General etc. in connection with proceedings

45

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Extension of powers of " higher authority " with respect to army and air-force charges

46

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Amendments as to summary trial for naval offences

47

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Amendments as to convening or ordering of courts-martial

48

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Amendments as to procedure of courts-martial, and evidence in naval disciplinary courts

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• (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (3) Section 6(1) of the Criminal Evidence Act 1898 (which applies that Act to all criminal proceedings, including proceedings in courts-martial) shall be amended by inserting after the words “courts-martial” the words “under the Army Act 1955 and the Air Force Act 1955, and proceedings in courts-martial and disciplinary courts under the Naval Discipline Act 1957”.

Army and air-force courts-martial: amendments as to revision and confirmation of findings

50

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Naval findings and sentences: amendments as to reviewing authorities

51

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Countries for serving of naval sentences of imprisonment and detention

52

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Commencement of naval sentences of imprisonment and detention

53

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Remission of sentences of imprisonment and detention

54

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Amendment of Naval Discipline Act 1957 as respects effect of taking offences into consideration

55

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Amendments as to deserters and absentees without leave

56

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Addition to Naval Discipline Act 1957 of provisions as to proof of proceedings

57

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Fees for copies of proceedings of army and air-force courts-martial

58

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Part IV — FORFEITURE OF PAY ETC. AND DEDUCTIONS FROM PAY

Army and air force: new provision for deductions in respect of judgment debts etc.

59

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Navy: amendments as to forfeitures for illegal absence

60

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Navy: new provisions as to forfeitures and deductions generally, and as to deductions for civil penalties, judgment debts etc.

61

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Amendment of provisions as to service of process in maintenance proceedings

62

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Part V — Miscellaneous Amendments

Minimum age for enlistment or entry without parental etc consent

63

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Purchase of discharge from army and air force

64

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Forfeiture of service for naval deserters

65

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Redress of complaints

66

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Naval billeting and requisitioning

67

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Reductions in rank under Army Act 1955 and Air Force Act 1955

68

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Assisting deserters from reserve forces

69

• (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Taking of affidavits and declarations abroad

70

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Addition to Naval Discipline Act 1957 of provision indemnifying prison officers, etc.

71

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Application of Army Act 1955 and Air Force Act 1955 to passengers in H.M. ships and aircraft

72

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Appeal against sentence by civilians

73

• (1) The Courts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968 (under which appeals to the Courts-Martial Appeal Court are confined to appeals against conviction) shall be amended in accordance with subsections (2) and (3) below.

• (2) In section 8—

• (a) at the end of subsection (1) (which confers the right of appeal) there shall be added the words “and, if he was a civilian (as defined in subsection (5) below) both at the time of his conviction and when the offence was committed, may also with the leave of the Court appeal against his sentence, unless it is one fixed by law”, and

• (b) the following subsection shall be added after subsection (4)—

(5) In this section “civilian” means any person who is not subject to service law (meaning military law, air-force law and the Naval Discipline Act) and any person within section 208A or 209 of the Army Act, section 208A or 209 of the Air Force Act or section 117 or 118 of the Naval Discipline Act (which apply certain provisions of those Acts to passengers in Her Majesty’s ships and aircraft, persons employed by or accompanying Her Majesty’s forces, families of members of those forces etc.).

• (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (4) The provisions of Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect, being provisions making in the said Act of 1968 and the other enactments there specified amendments consequential on, or otherwise connected with, the preceding provisions of this section.

Meaning of " active service " in Naval Discipline Act 1957

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Amendments for introducing naval rate, and marine rank, of warrant officer

75

The enactments specified in Schedule 3 to this Act shall have effect subject to the amendments specified in that Schedule, being amendments connected with the introduction of the naval rate, and the marine rank, of warrant officer.

Sufficiency of evidence in Scottish courts

76

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Part VI — Supplemental

Repeals and transitional provisions

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• (1) The enactments specified in Schedule 4 to this Act (Part II of which includes certain enactments which are spent) are hereby repealed to the extent specified in column 3 of that Schedule.

• (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Short title, construction and commencement

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• (1) This Act may be cited as the Armed Forces Act 1971.

• (2) Except so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any other enactment is a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any subsequent enactment, including an enactment contained in this Act.

• (3) This Act, except section 1 and this section, shall come into force on such date as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint, but subject to the qualifications specified in subsection (4) below.

• (4) The said qualifications are as follows:—

• (a) the following provisions of this Act, that is to say, Part II, section 69, Schedule 1 and Part I of Schedule 4, shall not have effect in relation to any act or omission occurring before the date appointed under subsection (3) above, and, in particular, shall not affect the operation of any enactment in force immediately before that date in relation to any offence against any such enactment committed, or partly committed, before that date;