8.—(1) An accused who has given notice of appeal to a court-martial against finding or sentence of a Standing Civilian Court may abandon the appeal or any part of it at any time before the commencement of the trial by court-martial by giving notice in writing to the court administration officer.
(2) An accused who has given notice of appeal to a court-martial may not abandon the appeal or any part of it after the commencement of the trial by court-martial except with the leave of the court-martial.
(3) Where an accused fails to appear before the court-martial at the appointed time or subsequently thereafter, the judge advocate, if he considers that there is no reasonable explanation for the failure to appear, may direct that the appeal be treated as abandoned.
(4) An accused may not revive an appeal or any part of it which he has abandoned or which is treated as abandoned.