Reserve Forces Act 1980

118 Civil rights and exemptions

(1) An officer or man of the Territorial Army or the Royal Auxiliary Air Force shall not be liable to any penalty or punishment for or on account of his absence—

(a) during the time he is voting at any election of a member to serve in Parliament; or

(b) during the time he is going to or returning from such voting.

(2) While a sheriff—

(a) is an officer of the Territorial Army and is called out for permanent service under section 10(1) or section 11(1) above, or

(b) is an officer of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and is called out for permanent service under section 10(1) above or called out for home defence service,

he shall be discharged from personally performing the office of sheriff, and the under-sheriff shall be answerable for the execution of that office in the name of the high sheriff, and the security given by the under-sheriff and his pledges to the high sheriff shall stand as a security to the Queen and to all persons whomsoever for the due performance of the office of sheriff during that time.

(3) A field officer of the Territorial Army or an officer of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force not below the rank of squadron leader shall not be required to serve in the office of high sheriff.

(4) Subsections (2) and (3) above do not apply to Scotland.