Seamen's and Soldiers' False Characters Act 1906

1906 CHAPTER 5

An Act to amend the Law relating to the falsification of Seamen's and Soldiers' Certificates of Service or Discharge, and to false statements made, used, or given in connection with Entry or Enlistment into His Majesty's Naval, Military, or Marine Forces.

[22nd June 1906]

Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :

1 Forgery of service or discharge certificate and personation.

(1) If any person forges the certificate of service or discharge of any seaman or soldier, or any certificate purporting to be a certificate of service or discharge of a seaman or soldier, or utters any such certificate knowing it to be forged, or obtains or seeks to obtain any employment or other advantage by means of any forged or counterfeit certificate of service or discharge, or personates the holder of a certificate of service or discharge, he shall on conviction under the Summary Jurisdiction Acts be liable in the case of a first offence to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding one month, or to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds, and in the case of a second or subsequent offence to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding three months,

(2) For the purposes of this section the expression " seaman " means a man who has served in His Majesty's naval forces, and the expression "soldier" means a man who has served in His Majesty's military or marine forces.

2 Penalty on using or giving false statements for enlistment.

If any man when entering or enlisting or offering himself for entry or enlistment in His Majesty's naval, military, or marine forces makes use of any forged or counterfeit statement as to his character or previous employment, or any statement as to his character or previous employment which to his knowledge is false in any material particular, he shall be liable, on conviction under the Summary Jurisdiction Acts, to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds ; and if any person makes a written statement as to the character or previous employment of any man which he knows to be false in any material particular, and which he allows or intends to be used for the purpose of the entry or enlistment of that man into His Majesty's naval, military, or marine forces, he shall be liable, on conviction under the Summary Jurisdiction Acts, to the like fine.

3 Extension of 16 & 17 Vict. c.69 s.16 to naval reserves.

In section sixteen of the Naval Enlistment Act, 1853 (which imposes a penalty on persons who make or give a false statement upon entering or offering themselves to enter the naval service of His Majesty), the expression " naval service " shall include service in any of the naval reserve forces.

4 Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Seamen's and Soldiers' False Characters Act, 1906.