Reserve Forces Act 1980

1 (1) A person offering to enlist shall be given a notice in the prescribed form setting out the questions to be answered on attestation and stating the general conditions of the engagement to be entered into by him ; and a recruiting officer shall not enlist any person unless satisfied by that person that he has been given such a notice, understands it and wishes to be enlisted.

(2) The procedure for enlisting a person shall be that set out in paragraph 2 below.

(3) A recruiting officer shall not enlist a person under the appropriate minimum age unless consent to the enlistment has been given in writing—

(a) if the person offering to enlist is living with both or one of his parents, by the parents or parent;

(b) if he is not living with both or one of his parents, but any person (whether a parent or not) whose whereabouts are known or can after reasonable enquiry be ascertained has parental rights and powers in respect of him, by that person;

(c) if there is no such person as is mentioned in paragraph (b) of this sub-paragraph or if after reasonable enquiry it cannot be ascertained whether there is any such person, by any person in whose care (whether in law or in fact) the person offering to enlist may be.

(4) Where the recruiting officer is satisfied, by the production of a certified copy of an entry in the register of births or by any other evidence appearing to him to be sufficient, that a person offering to enlist has or has not attained the appropriate minimum age, that person shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to have attained, or as the case may be, not to have attained, that age.

A document purporting to be a certificate signed by the recruiting officer, stating that he is satisfied as aforesaid, shall be sufficient evidence, until the contrary is proved, that he is so satisfied.