Explanatory Notes

Armed Forces Act 2006

2006 CHAPTER 52

8 November 2006

Second Group of Parts – Miscellaneous Matters

Part 14 – Enlistment, Terms of Service Etc

Redress of individual grievances

Section 337: Reference of individual grievance to Her Majesty

679.Officers have traditionally had the right to have their complaint referred to the Sovereign for Her Majesty to decide whether to give the Defence Council any directions about the complaint. This section lays down certain conditions that must be satisfied for an officer to have his complaint referred to Her Majesty. One condition is that the complaint must have previously been decided by the Defence Council, i.e. by a Service Board, and that its function has not been delegated to a service complaints panel to any extent. So the matters about which an officer will be entitled to complain to Her Majesty will be limited to those matters that the Defence Council decides not to delegate decisions on to service complaint panels.