Courts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968

General procedural provisions

26 Presentation of appellant's case

An appellant may, if he so desires, instead of presenting his case orally, present it in writing in the prescribed form.

27 Presence of appellant at hearing

An appellant shall not be entitled to be present at the hearing of an appeal to the Appeal Court or at any proceedings preliminary or incidental to such an appeal, except where the Court give him leave to be so; and accordingly any power of the Court to pass a sentence may be exercised notwithstanding the absence of the appellant.

28 Evidence

(1) The Appeal Court may—

(a) order the production of any document, exhibit or other thing connected with the proceedings the production of which appears to them necessary for the determination of the case;

(b) order any witness who would have been a compellable witness at the trial to attend for examination and be examined before the Court, whether or not he was called at the trial; and

(c) receive the evidence, if tendered, of any witness.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above, where evidence is tendered to the Appeal Court under that subsection the Court shall, unless they are satisfied that the evidence if received would not afford any ground for allowing the appeal, exercise their power under that subsection of receiving it if—

(a) it appears to them that the evidence is likely to be credible and would have been admissible at the trial on an issue which is the subject of the appeal; and

(b) they are satisfied that it was not adduced at the trial, but that there is a reasonable explanation of the failure to adduce it.

(3) Subsection (1)(c) above applies to any witness (including the appellant) who is competent but not compellable, and applies also to the appellant's husband or wife where the appellant makes an application for that purpose and the evidence of the husband or wife could not have been given at the trial except on such an application.

(4) The Appeal Court may order the examination of any witness whose attendance may be required under subsection (1)(b) of this section to be conducted in the prescribed manner before any judge of the Court or before any other person appointed by the Court for that purpose, and allow the admission of any depositions so taken as evidence before the Court.

29 Power to call for report by member of trial court

(1) The Appeal Court may order the taking of such steps as are requisite to obtain from any member of the court-martial by which the appellant was tried, or the person who officiated as judge advocate at the trial, a report giving his opinion on the case or on any point arising in it, or containing a statement as to any facts of which the ascertainment appears to the Court to be material for the purpose of determining the case.

(2) The Court shall not make an order under this section for the purpose of obtaining a report from a member of a court-martial other than the president of it unless they also make such order for the purpose of obtaining a report from the president or are satisfied that the obtaining of a report from him is impracticable or would involve undue delay.

30 Other powers for facilitating disposal of appeal

(1) Where any question arising on an appeal involves prolonged examination of documents or accounts, or any scientific or local investigation, which cannot in the opinion of the Appeal Court conveniently be conducted before them, the Court may order the reference of the question in the prescribed manner for inquiry and report to a special commissioner appointed by them, and act upon the report of the commissioner so far as they think fit to adopt it.

(2) The Appeal Court may appoint a person with special expert knowledge to act as assessor to the Court in any case where it appears to them that such knowledge is required for the proper determination of the case.

(3) There may be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament to a special commissioner to whom a question is referred under this section for inquiry and report, and to a person appointed as assessor to the Appeal Court, such remuneration and such travelling and subsistence allowances as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Lord Chancellor.

(4) The power of the Lord Chancellor under subsection (3) above to make regulations shall be exercisable by statutory instrument, which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.