---
title: "The Armed Forces (Court Martial) (Amendment) Rules 2025"
id: 471d7dc7-72c5-46cb-99ba-49cd196cde7b
authority: uk
place: "United Kingdom"
applies_also_from: []
kind: regulation
in_force: true
publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/187
attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/471d7dc7-72c5-46cb-99ba-49cd196cde7b
language: en
in_force_from: 2025-02-20
date_basis: publisher
status: consolidated
source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/187/data.xml
read_on: 2026-11-10
sha256: 96c46d755b909f9609bcbe039380d38875244a82a213499171c4285d936e7ce5
provisions: 3
---

# The Armed Forces (Court Martial) (Amendment) Rules 2025

## Title and introductory text {#prelims}

2025 No. 187
DEFENCE
The Armed Forces (Court Martial) (Amendment) Rules 2025
Made
18th February 2025
Coming into force
20th February 2025
The Secretary of State makes these Rules in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 155(3) and (4) and 163(1) to (3) of the Armed Forces Act 2006.
A draft of this instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament in accordance with section 373(3)(f) of the Armed Force Act 2006.

## 1 Citation, commencement and extent {#rule-1}

(1) These Rules may be cited as the Armed Forces (Court Martial) (Amendment) Rules 2025.
(2) These Rules come into force on 20th February 2025.
(3) These Rules extend to England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the British overseas territories (except Gibraltar).

## 2 Amendment of the Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2009 {#rule-2}

In the Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2009, in Rule 34 (the president of the board)—
(a) in paragraph (3)—
(i) after “officer”, insert “(“A”)”;
(ii) in subparagraphs (a) and (b), for “he”, in both places it occurs, substitute “A”;
(iii) in subparagraph (c), after the words “to whom proceedings relate”, insert “(“B”)” and for the words after “subject to service law,”, substitute “A satisfies the requirements set out in paragraphs (4) and (4A).”;
(b) for paragraph (4), substitute “Where B is of rank OF-6 or above, A must be of rank OF-6 or above.”;
(c) after paragraph (4), insert—
(4A) Where B is of rank OF-5 or below, A must be of superior rank to B.
;
(d) after paragraph (5), insert—
(5A) In this rule—
“OF-5” means any of the following—
captain, Royal Navy;
colonel;
group captain;
“OF-6” means any of the following—
commodore;
brigadier;
air commodore.
.