Armed Forces Act 1976

Part I — General

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

Duration of Services Acts,

1

Service in and constitution of forces

Regulations as to variation of term of service

2

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Royal Marines

3

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QARNNS and WRNS

4

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Part II — Trial and Punishment of Offences

Summary punishment

Increased powers of summary punishment

5

Civilians

Establishment of Standing Civilian Courts

6

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Jurisdiction of Standing Civilian Courts

7

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Powers of courts in relation to civilians

8

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Constitution of courts-martial for civilians

9

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Juveniles

Powers of courts in relation to juveniles

10

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Court-martial procedure

Proof at courts-martial by written statement

11

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Exemption of certain persons from duty to take oath at court-martial

12

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Powers of court-martial etc.

Imprisonment in default of payment of tines

13

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Restitution and compensation

14

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Naval Offences

Territorial scope of certain offences

15

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Powers of civil courts

Enforcement by civil courts of financial penalties awarded under Services Acts

16

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Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation of civilians found guilty in service disciplinary proceedings

17

Part III — Miscellaneous and Supplementary

Deductions for maintenance of children

18

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Deductions from RAF pensions

19

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Disqualification of members of forces for House of Commons and Northern Ireland Assembly

20

In section 1 of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 and section 1 of the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975 (each of which disqualifies holders of certain offices and places)—

• (a) the words “or the Ulster Defence Regiment" shall be added at the end of subsection (1)(c), and

• (b) the following definition shall be substituted for the definition of “regular armed forces of the Crown" in subsection (3) of the former section and subsection (3) of the former section and subsection (2) of the latter, namely— “ “regular armed forces of the Crown” means the Royal Navy, the regular forces as defined by section 225 of the Army Act 1955, the regular air force as defined by section 223 of the Air Force Act 1955, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service and the Women’s Royal Naval Service. ”

Greenwich Hospital

21

• (1) The Secretary of State shall continue to apply the income of the Travers Foundation property, after deducting the necessary and proper expenses of management, in granting such pensions to qualified officers, and under such conditions, as Her Majesty may from time to time by Order in Council direct; and all such pensions shall continue to be distinguished as Travers pensions.

• (2) Subject to subsection (1) above, the Secretary of State shall apply the income of the Travers Foundation property for the general purposes of the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967.

• (3) The Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967 shall have effect as if the said property were property which vested in the Admiralty by virtue of the Greenwich Hospital Act 1865, and the capital and revenue of the property were capital and revenue of Greenwich Hospital, except that the accounts of the property shall be kept distinct from the general accounts of Greenwich Hospital, and be shown separately in any statement rendered to Parliament under the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967.

• (4) The rents and profits of the lands which vested in the Admiralty by virtue of the Greenwich Hospital Act 1865 and the Naval Knights of Windsor (Dissolution) Act 1892 shall continue to be paid, either with or without deductions of the necessary and proper expenses of management of those lands, and of other necessary and proper outgoings in respect of them, into the Bank of England to the cash account of Her Majesty’s Paymaster General, who shall carry them to the Greenwich Hospital Income Account and to the account mentioned in subsection (3) above respectively.

• (5) In this section—

• “qualified officers” means retired officers of the rank of lieutenant in the Royal Navy, or officers of the Royal Navy who have retired from the active list of lieutenants with the rank of commander in the Royal Navy; and

• “the Travers Foundation property” means the property which was transferred to the Admiralty by the Naval Knights of Windsor (Dissolution) Act 1892 and from them to the Secretary of State by the Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964.

Citation etc.

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• (1) This Act may be cited as the Armed Forces Act 1976.

• (2) Section 21 above may be cited together with the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967 as the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1976.

• (3) 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.

• (4) Any power to make an order conferred by any provision of this Act shall include power to make an order varying or revoking any order previously made under that provision.

• (5) The minor and consequential amendments specified in Schedule 9 to this Act shall have effect.

• (6) The enactments specified in Schedule 10 to this Act (which include enactments which were obsolete or unnecessary before the passing of this Act) are repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.

• (7) The following provisions of this Act shall come into force on the day this Act is passed, namely—

• section 1;

• section 10;

• section 17(1);

• section 20(a);

• section 21;

• subsections (1) to (4) and (7) to (9) of this section;

• subsection (5) of this section so far as it relates to paragraphs 4, 11 and 20(2), (4) and (5) of Schedule 9; and

• subsection (6) of this section so far as it relates to the repeal of the following, namely—

• the Naval Knights of Windsor (Dissolution) Act 1892,

• section 1 of the Armed Forces Act 1971,

• section 10(4) of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, and

• section 5(3) of the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975.

• (8) Subject to subsection (7) above, this Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.

• (9) An order under subsection (8) above—

• (a) may appoint different days for different provisions and for different purposes; and

• (b) may make savings from the effect of any provision which it brings into force.

SCHEDULE 1

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SCHEDULE 2

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SCHEDULE 3

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14

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17

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20

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SCHEDULE 4

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3

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SCHEDULE 5

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2

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3

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SCHEDULE 6

1

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2

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SCHEDULE 7

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3

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4

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SCHEDULE 8

1

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2

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3

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4

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SCHEDULE 9

Criminal Evidence Act 1898

1

In section 6(1) of the Criminal Evidence Act 1898 after the words “1957" there shall be inserted the words “and in Standing Civilian Courts established under the Armed Forces Act 1976".

The Perjury Act (Northern Ireland) 1946

2

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Army Act 1955 and Air Force Act 1955

3

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4

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5

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6

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7

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8

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9

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Naval Discipline Act 1957

10

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11

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12

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13

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14

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Criminal Justice Act 1967

15

In section 89(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 (false written statements tendered in evidence) after the word “Act" there shall be inserted the words “or in proceedings before a court-martial by virtue of the said section 9 as extended by section 12 above or by section 99A of the Army Act 1955 or section 99A of the Air Force Act 1955".

Courts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968

16

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17

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Treatment of Offenders Act (Northern Ireland) 1968

18

In section 33(4)(b) of the Treatment of Offenders Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 after the words “court-martial" there shall be inserted the words “or a Standing Civilian Court established under the Armed Forces Act 1976".

Representation of the People Act 1969

19

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Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

20

• (1) In subsection (1) of section 2 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 after the word “awarded" there shall be inserted the words “or order made by virtue of Schedule 5A to the Army Act 1955 or to the Air Force Act 1955 or Schedule 4A to the Naval Discipline Act 1957".

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

• (3) The following paragraph shall be inserted after subsection (5)(b) of that section:—

(bb) any proceedings before a Standing Civilian Court established under the Armed Forces Act 1976 ;

.

• (4) In paragraph (d) of section 5(1) of that Act (sentences excluded from rehabilitation) at the end of the paragraph there shall be inserted the words “or a corresponding court-martial punishment".

• (5) The following subsection shall be inserted after that subsection:—

(IA) In subsection (1)(d) above “corresponding court martial punishment” means a punishment awarded under section 71A(3) or (4) of the Army Act 1955, section 7IA(3) or (4) of the Air Force Act 1955 or section 43A(3) or (4) of the Naval Discipline Act 1957.

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• (1) The following entries shall be made in Table B in subsection (2) of section 5 of that Act (rehabilitation periods for particular sentences):—

• (a) after the entry relating to a sentence of Borstal training—

A custodial order under Schedule 5A to the Army Act 1955 or the Air Force Act 1955, or under Schedule 4A to the Naval Discipline Act 1957, where the maximum period of detention specified in the order is more than six months.	Seven years.

;

• (b) after the entry relating to an order for detention in a detention centre:—

A custodial order under any of the Schedules to the said Acts of 1955 and 1957 mentioned above, where the maximum period of detention specified in the order is six months or less.	Three years.

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• (2) The following paragraphs shall be added after subsection (5)(f) of that section:—

(g) a community supervision order under Schedule 5A to the Army Act 1955 or the Air Force Act 1955, or under Schedule 4A to the Naval Discipline Act 1957; (h) a reception order under any of those Schedules;

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• (3) The following subsection shall be inserted after subsection (10) of that section:—

(1OA) The reference in subsection (5) above to the period during which a reception order has effect includes a reference to any subsequent period during wwhich by virtue of the order having been made the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 or the Children and Young Persons Act Northern Ireland) 1968 has effect in relation to the person in respect of whom the order was made and subsection (10) above shall accordingly have effect in relation to any such subsequent period.

Treatment of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1976

22

In Article 2(2) of the Treatment of Offenders Ireland) Order 1976, in the definition of “court" after the words “court-martial" there shall be inserted the words “ or a Standing Civilian Court established under the Armed Forces Act 1976".

SCHEDULE 10

Regulations as to variation of term of service.

Citation etc.

17A

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Editorial notes

[^c1030486]: Act: Power to amend conferred (prosp.) by 2001 c. 19, ss. 30(4)(e), 39(2)

[^c1030487]: Words of enactment omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (c. 62), s. 3

[^c1030488]: Act amended (women's services) by Armed Forces Act 1981 (c. 55, SIF 7:1), s. 20, Sch. 3 Pt. I para. 1