156Officers and warrant officers qualified for membership of the Court Martial
(1)Subject to subsections (2) to (4), an officer or warrant officer is qualified for membership of the Court Martial if he is subject to service law.
(2)An officer is not qualified for membership of the court unless—
(a)he has held a commission in any of Her Majesty’s forces for at least three years, or for periods amounting in the aggregate to at least three years; or
(b)immediately before receiving his commission, he was a warrant officer in any of those forces.
(3)A warrant officer is not qualified for membership of the court if he is an acting warrant officer.
(4)An officer or warrant officer is not qualified for membership of the court if—
(a)he is a member of the Military Court Service;
(b)he is a member of or on the staff of the Service Prosecuting Authority;
(c)he is a service policeman;
(d)he is a member of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department or the Royal Air Force Chaplains' Branch;
(e)he has a general qualification within the meaning of section 71 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 (c. 41);
(f)he is an advocate or solicitor in Scotland;
(g)he is a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland or a solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland; or
(h)he has in a relevant territory rights and duties similar to those of a barrister or solicitor in England and Wales, and is subject to punishment or disability for breach of professional rules.
(5)In this section “relevant territory” means—
(a)any of the Channel Islands;
(b)the Isle of Man;
(c)a Commonwealth country; or
(d)a British overseas territory.