57 Offences in relation to courts-martial.F6U.K.
(1)Any person subject to air-force law who—
(a)having been duly summoned or ordered to attend as a witness before a court-martial, fails to comply with the summons or order, or
(b)refuses to swear an oath when duly required by a court-martial to do so, or
(c)refuses to produce any document in his custody or under his control which a court-martial has lawfully required him to produce, or
(d)when a witness, refuses to answer any question which a court-martial has lawfully required him to answer, or
(e)wilfully insults any person, being a member of a court-martial or a witness or any other person whose duty it is to attend on or before the court, while that person is acting as a member thereof or is so attending, or wilfully insults any such person as aforesaid while that person is going to or returning from the proceedings of the court, or
(f)wilfully interrupts the proceedings of a court-martial or otherwise misbehaves before the court,
shall, on conviction by a court-martial, other than the court in relation to which the offence was committed, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act.
(2)Notwithstanding anything in the last foregoing subsection, where an offence against F1that subsection is committed in relation to any court-martial held in pursuance of this Act that court, if of opinion that it is expedient that the offender should be dealt with summarily by the court instead of being brought to trial before another court-martial, may by order under the hand of the president [F2sentence the offender—
(a)if he is an officer, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty-one days, or to a fine not exceeding the amount of his pay for twenty-eight days (a day’s pay being taken for this purpose as the gross amount which is, or would apart from any forfeiture be, issuable to the offender in respect of the day on which the order is made),
(b)in any other case, to imprisonment or detention for such a term as aforesaid, or to such a fine as aforesaid.]
[F3(2A)If the offender has attained seventeen years of age but is under twenty-one years of age, subsection (2) above shall have effect in relation to him as if the power to impose a sentence of imprisonment were a power to make an order under section 71AA below.]
(3)References in paragraphs (a) to (f) of subsection (1) of this section to a court-martial shall include references to a court-martial [F4or disciplinary court] held in pursuance of [F5the M1Naval Discipline Act 1957][F4and to a court-martial held in pursuance of] the M2Army Act 1955, or the law of any colony.
Textual Amendments
F1Words repealed by Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), s. 78(4), Sch. 4 Pt. I
F2Words substituted by Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), ss. 23(1)(2), 78(4)
F3S. 57(2A) inserted by Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1),s. 58, Sch. 8 para. 1(1)
F4Words inserted by Naval Discipline Act 1957 (c. 53), Sch. 5
F5Words substituted by virtue of Naval Discipline Act 1957 (c. 53), s. 137(2)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 57(1) extended by Armed Forces Act 1976 (c. 52), Sch. 3 paras. 1(2), 15(1)
Marginal Citations
Textual Amendments applied to the whole legislation
F6Act: the provisions of the 1955 Acts providing for findings of courts-martial to be subject to confirmation and to revision at the direction of the confirming officer cease to have effect (1.4.1997 subject to art. 3 of the commencing S.I.) by virtue of 1996 c. 46, s. 15; S.I. 1997/304, arts. 2, 3, Sch. 2