Armed Forces Act 1981

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

(1) The following section shall be inserted after section 141 of the Army Act 1955 and the Air Force Act 1955—

“141A Right of penalised parent or guardian to copy of record of court-martial proceedings.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, where a court-martial imposes a fine on or makes a compensation order against a parent or guardian under paragraph 13 of Schedule 5 A to this Act, the parent or guardian shall be entitled to obtain from the Judge Advocate General on demand at any time within the relevant period and on payment therefor at such rate as the Judge Advocate General may determine a copy of the relevant part of the record of the proceedings of the court.

(2) Where the parent or guardian dies within the relevant period, his personal representatives or any person who in the opinion of the Judge Advocate General ought to be treated for the purposes of this subsection as his personal representative shall, subject to the provisions of this section, be entitled to obtain from the Judge Advocate General on demand at any time within the period of twelve months from the death and on payment therefor at the rate determined under subsection (1) above a copy of the relevant part of the record of the proceedings of the court.

(3) In a case where this section applies, any entitlement conferred by subsection (1) or (2) above is in addition to any entitlement conferred by section 141(2) or (3) of this Act.

(4) If, on an application in pursuance of this section for a copy of the record of any proceedings, the Secretary of State certifies that it is requisite for reasons of security that the proceedings or any part thereof should not be disclosed, the applicant shall not be entitled to a copy of the proceedings or part to which the certificate relates.

(5) In this section "the relevant period" means the period of five years beginning with the date of the promulgation of the findings and sentence.

(6) In this section "the relevant part of the record " means so much of the record as relates to compliance with the requirements of the said paragraph 13 or to any matters taken into account by the court in deciding to impose the fine or make the compensation order.

(7) Subsection (6) of section 141 of this Act applies for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purposes of that section.”.

(2) Accordingly, in section 141(1) of the [1955 c. 18.] Army Act 1955 and the [1955 c. 19.] Air Force Act 1955 (record of court-martial proceedings to be kept for certain period) after "subsections" there shall be inserted " and by section 141A below ".

(3) The following section shall be inserted after section 66 of the [1957 c. 53.] Naval Discipline Act 1957—

“66A Right of penalised parent or guardian to copy of record of court-martial proceedings.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, where a court-martial imposes a fine on or makes a compensation order against a parent or guardian under paragraph 13 of Schedule 4A to this Act, the parent or guardian shall be entitled, on application made to the Defence Council within five years after the conclusion of the proceedings before the court-martial, to receive a copy of the relevant part of the record of the proceedings, subject to payment of such fee (if any), not exceeding the cost of making the copy, as may be required by the Defence Council.

(2) Where the parent or guardian dies within the period of five years mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, his personal representatives, or any person who in the opinion of the Defence Council ought to be treated for the purposes of this subsection as his personal representative, shall, on application made to the Defence Council within one year after his death, have the like right to receive a copy of the relevant part of the record as that person would have had on application made under that subsection.

(3) In a case where this section applies, any entitlement conferred by subsection (1) or (2) above is in addition to any entitlement conferred by section 66(2) or (3) of this Act.

(4) If, on application made in pursuance of this section for a copy of the record of any proceedings, the Defence Council certify that it is necessary for reasons of security that any part of the proceedings should not be disclosed, the applicant shall not be entitled to a copy of the part to which the certificate relates.

(5) In this section " the relevant part of the record " means so much of the record as relates to compliance with the requirements of the said paragraph 13 or to any matters taken into account by the court in deciding to impose the fine or make the compensation order.”.