Armed Forces Act 2006

Powers of officers etc

351 Detention etc of persons in overseas service hospitals

Schedule 12 (powers to admit persons to and detain them in overseas service hospitals etc) has effect.

352 Power to take affidavits and declarations

(1) An authorised officer may, at a place outside the British Islands, take an affidavit or declaration from a person subject to service law or a civilian subject to service discipline.

(2) An authorised officer before whom such an affidavit or declaration is taken must state in the jurat or attestation his full name and rank and the date on which and the place at which the affidavit or declaration was taken.

(3) A document containing such a statement and purporting to be signed by an authorised officer shall be admitted in evidence without proof of the signature or of the facts set out in the statement.

(4) For the purposes of this section an officer is “authorised” if he is subject to service law and—

(a) is of or above the rank of lieutenant commander, major or squadron leader; or

(b) is of the rank of naval lieutenant, military or marine captain or flight lieutenant and—

(i) has a general qualification within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41);

(ii) is an advocate or solicitor in Scotland;

(iii) is a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland or a solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland; or

(iv) has in a relevant territory rights and duties similar to those of a barrister or solicitor in England and Wales, and is subject to punishment or disability for breach of professional rules.

(5) In this section “relevant territory” means—

(a) any of the Channel Islands;

(b) the Isle of Man;

(c) a Commonwealth country; or

(d) a British overseas territory.