Armed Forces Act 1971

• Citation: 1971 c. 33
• Sections: 88

Section 2 Misconduct in action, assisting the enemy, obstructing operations, etc.

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Section 3 Prize offences.

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Section 4 Offences by or in relation to sentries, persons on watch etc.

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Section 5 Failure to attend for duty, neglect of duty etc.

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Section 6 Looting

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Section 7 Mutiny

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Section 8 Insurbodinate behaviour, and disobedience to lawful commands.

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Section 9 Obstruction of provost officers etc.

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Section 10 Disobedience to standing orders etc.

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Section 11 Desertion.

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Section 12 Absence without leave.

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Section 13 Failure to report or apprehend deserters or absentees.

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Section 14 Malingering.

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Section 15 Drunkeness.

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Section 16 Disorderly conduct.

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Section 17 Service etc. property: damage, loss, misapplication and waste.

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

Damage to, and loss of, public or service property etc.

(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.

Damage to, loss of, Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material.

(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.

Misapplication and waste of public or service property.

(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.

Offences relating to issues and decorations.

(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”.

Section 18 Billeting offences.

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Section 19 Loss or hazarding of ship.

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Section 20 Inaccurate certification of ships and aircraft.

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Section 21 Low flying and annoyance by flying.

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Section 22 Permitting escape, resisting arrest, and escaping.

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Section 23 Offences in relation to courts-martial.

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Section 24 Unauthorised disclosure of information.

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Section 25 False statements on entry into Royal Navy.

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Section 27 Offences against civilian population.

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Section 28 Offences against morale.

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Section 29 Scandalous conduct by officers.

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Section 30 Ill-treatment of persons of inferior rank etc.

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Section 31 Disgraceful conduct.

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Section 32 Attempts, aiding and abetting etc., and inciting.

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Section 33 Conduct to the prejudice of service discipline.

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Section 34 Civil offences.

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Section 35 Abolition of certain offences.

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Section 36 Punishments for army and air-force offences dealt with courts-martial.

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Section 37 Punishments for army and air-force offences dealt with summarily.

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Section 38 Punishments for naval offences.

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Section 39 Imprisonment and detention: consecutive terms.

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Section 40 Detention for army and air-force offences: limitation of total period.

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Section 41 Time for trial of offences under s. 42 of Naval Discipline Act 1957.

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Section 42 Naval offences by civilians.

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Section 43 Consequential and minor, amendments.

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Section 44 Arrest by civil authorities.

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Section 45 Exclusion of enactments requiring fiat of Attorney General etc. in connection with proceedings.

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Section 46 Extension of powers of “higher authority” with respect to army and air-force charges.

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Section 47 Amendments as to summary trial for naval offences.

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Section 48 Amendments as to convening or ordering of court-martial.

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Section 49 Amendments as to procedure of courts-martial, and evidence in naval disciplinary courts.

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(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”.

Section 50 Army and air force courts-martial: amendments as to revision and confirmation of findings.

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Section 51 Naval findings and sentences: amendments as to reviewing authorities.

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Section 52 Countries for serving of naval sentences of imprisonment and detention.

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