Armed Forces Act 1981

1. Introductory Text

2. Part I Continuance of Services Acts

   1. 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. Part II Trial and Punishment of Offences

   1. 2. Young service offenders: custodial orders.

   2. 3. Power to stay further proceedings under one of the Services Acts with a view to other proceedings.

   3. 4. Marines: forfeiture of service where desertion confessed.

   4. 5. Power on reveiw or confirmation to annul the taking into consideration of other offences.

   5. 6. Trial of persons ceasing to be subject to service law and time limits for trials.

   6. 7. Extent of accused’s right to copy of record of court-martial proceedings.

   7. 8. Right of penalised parent or guardian to copy of record of court-martial proceedings.

   8. 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   9. 10. Amendments relating to trial and punishment of civilians under the Services Acts.

   10. 11. Minor amendments and repeals relating to procedure and evidence.

   11. 12. Increase in fine for certain minor offences under the Reserve Forces Act 1980 .

4. Part III Miscellaneous

   1. New powers in relation to persons under incapacity

      1. 13. Temporary removal to and detention for treatment in service hospitals abroad of servicemen and others suffering from mental disorder.

      2. 14. Temporary removal to and detention in a place of safety abroad of children of service families in need of care or control.

   2. Amendments of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 as to offences and punishments

      1. 15. Prize offence : minor amendment as to intent.

      2. 16. Power on summary trial to award stoppages.

      3. 17. Abolition of death penalty for spying in ships, etc. abroad.

   3. Amendments of the Services Acts relating to evidence and proceedings thereunder

      1. 18. (1) Section 153 of the Army Act 1955 and the...

      2. 19. Officers who can take affidavits and declarations abroad.

      3. 20. Women’s services: statutory assimilation and application thereto of certain enactments.

      4. 21. Clarification of the meaning in the Naval Discipline Act 1957 of “marine forces” and “naval reserve forces”.

      5. 22. Members of the armed forces are “employees” for the purposes of the Patents Act 1977.

      6. 23. Inquiries : persons affected who must be given a opportunity to be present and represented.

      7. 24. Abolition of the office of Accountant General of the Navy.

      8. 25. Naval prize cash balance not to include percentage deduction.

      9. 26. Payment of military pensions.

      10. 27. Naval and marine pay and pensions: no further publication in London Gazette.

5. Part IV General

   1. 28. Minor and consequential amendments and repeals.

   2. 29. Commencement.

   3. 30. Short title.

6. SCHEDULES

   1. SCHEDULE 1

      Amendments Relating to Trial of Civilians, Etc.

      1. Powers on trial of civilian

         1. 1. In section 209(3)(b) of the Army Act 1955 and the...

         2. 2. In section 209(4B) of the Air Force Act 1955 (application...

         3. 3. (1) The following amendments shall be made in Schedule 5A...

      2. Standing Civilian Courts : appeal and suspending sentence

         1. 4. (1) Schedule 3 to the Armed Forces Act 1976 (Standing...

   2. SCHEDULE 2

      Minor Amendments and Repeals Relating to Procedure and Evidence

      1. Election for trial by court-martial after investigation by commanding officer

         1. 1. In section 78(5) of the Army Act 1955 and the...

      2. Election for trial by court-martial after investigation by appropriate superior authority

         1. 2. In section 79(6) of the Army Act 1955 and the...

      3. Appropriate superior authorities

         1. 3. In section 82(2)(b) of the Army Act 1955 and the...

      4. Places for sitting of courts-martial

         1. 4. In section 91(1) of the Army Act 1955 and the...

      5. Persons under instruction at courts-martial

         1. 5. (1) In section 93(1) of the Army Act 1955 and...

      6. Written evidence at courts-martial : repeal of unnecessary provision

         1. 6. Section 99(2) of the Army Act 1955 and the Air...

      7. Correction of wrong cross-reference in provision for making rules of procedure

         1. 7. In section 103(2)(i) of the Army Act 1955 and the...

      8. Correction of wrong cross-reference in provision about maintenance orders

         1. 8. In section 151(2) of the Army Act 1955 and the...

      9. Evidence in sexual offences cases: application to judge advocate in court’s absence

         1. 9. In section 3(3) of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976...

   3. SCHEDULE 3

      Women’s Services

      1. Part I Statutory Assimilation

         1. Existing enactments

            1. 1. (1) Every enactment which refers to the armed forces or...

         2. Future enactments

            1. 2. Paragraph 1 above also applies for the interpretation of references...

      2. Part II Specific

         1. 3. In section 2 of the Pensions Commutation Act 1871 ,...

         2. 4. In section 2(b) of the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act 1884...

         3. 5. In the Uniforms Act 1894 , the following section shall...

         4. 6. In section 4 of the Air Force (Consititution) Act 1917...

         5. 7. In section 5(1) and in the definition of “British ship”...

         6. 8. In section 68(2) of the Marriage Act 1949 , in...

         7. 9. In section 2(1) of the Marriage (Registration of Buildings) Act...

         8. 10. In section 21(5) of the Armed Forces Act 1976 ,...

      3. Part III Application to QARNNS and WRNS of Provisions of 1966 Act as to Discharge, Etc.

         1. Preliminary

            1. 11. (1) The provisions of the Armed Forces Act 1966 specified...

         2. Postponement of discharge in event of war, etc.

            1. 12. Section 4 (postponement of discharge or transfer to the reserve)...

         3. Discharge

            1. 13. Section 6 (except subsection (5)) shall apply to ratings of...

         4. False statements on entry

            1. 14. Section 8 shall apply to persons offering themselves for service...

   4. SCHEDULE 4

      Minor and Consequential Amendments

      1. The Army Act 1955

         1. 1. (1) In section 210 of the Army Act 1955 (application...

      2. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

         1. 2. (1) In section 2(4) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act...

      3. The Rehabilitation of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1978

         1. 3. (1) In article 4(4) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Northern...

   5. SCHEDULE 5

      Repeals

      1. Part I Repeals consequent on assimilation of Women’s Services

         1. Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom

            1. Nothing in the repeal of a reference in any enactment...

      2. Part II Other Repeals

         1. 1. The following repeals shall come into force on the day...

         2. 2. The repeal of section 1 of the Armed Forces Act...

         3. 3. Subject to paragraphs 1 and 2 above, the repeals contained...