Law

Armed Forces Act 1971

United Kingdom · statute

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In force since 2012-10-01, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-08. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 83 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  3. 2 Misconduct in action, assisting the enemy, obstructing operations, etc.
  4. 3 Prize offences.
  5. 4 Offences by or in relation to sentries, persons on watch etc.
  6. 5 Failure to attend for duty, neglect of duty etc.
  7. 6 Looting
  8. 7 Mutiny
  9. 8 Insurbodinate behaviour, and disobedience to lawful commands.
  10. 9 Obstruction of provost officers etc.
  11. 10 Disobedience to standing orders etc.
  12. 11 Desertion.
  13. 12 Absence without leave.
  14. 13 Failure to report or apprehend deserters or absentees.
  15. 14 Malingering.
  16. 15 Drunkeness.
  17. 16 Disorderly conduct.
  18. 17 Service etc. property: damage, loss, misapplication and waste.
  19. 18 Billeting offences.
  20. 19 Loss or hazarding of ship.
  21. 20 Inaccurate certification of ships and aircraft.
  22. 21 Low flying and annoyance by flying.
  23. 22 Permitting escape, resisting arrest, and escaping.
  24. 23 Offences in relation to courts-martial.
  25. 24 Unauthorised disclosure of information.
  26. 25 False statements on entry into Royal Navy.
  27. 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  28. 27 Offences against civilian population.
  29. 28 Offences against morale.
  30. 29 Scandalous conduct by officers.
  31. 30 Ill-treatment of persons of inferior rank etc.
  32. 31 Disgraceful conduct.
  33. 32 Attempts, aiding and abetting etc., and inciting.
  34. 33 Conduct to the prejudice of service discipline.
  35. 34 Civil offences.
  36. 35 Abolition of certain offences.
  37. 36 Punishments for army and air-force offences dealt with courts-martial.
  38. 37 Punishments for army and air-force offences dealt with summarily.
  39. 38 Punishments for naval offences.
  40. 39 Imprisonment and detention: consecutive terms.
  41. 40 Detention for army and air-force offences: limitation of total period.
  42. 41 Time for trial of offences under s. 42 of Naval Discipline Act 1957.
  43. 42 Naval offences by civilians.
  44. 43 Consequential and minor, amendments.
  45. 44 Arrest by civil authorities.
  46. 45 Exclusion of enactments requiring fiat of Attorney General etc. in connection with proceedings.
  47. 46 Extension of powers of “higher authority” with respect to army and air-force charges.
  48. 47 Amendments as to summary trial for naval offences.
  49. 48 Amendments as to convening or ordering of court-martial.
  50. 49 Amendments as to procedure of courts-martial, and evidence in naval disciplinary courts.
  51. 50 Army and air force courts-martial: amendments as to revision and confirmation of findings.
  52. 51 Naval findings and sentences: amendments as to reviewing authorities.
  53. 52 Countries for serving of naval sentences of imprisonment and detention.
  54. 53 Commencment of naval sentences of imprisonment and detention.
  55. 54 Remission of sentences of imprisonment and detention.
  56. 55 Amendment of Naval Discipline Act 1957 as respects effect of taking offences into consideration.
  57. 56 Amendments as to deserters and absentees without leave.
  58. 57 Addition to Naval Discipline Act 1957 of provisions as to proof of proceedings.
  59. 58 Fees for copies of proceedings of army and air-force courts-martial.
  60. 59 Army and air force : new provisions for deductions in respect of judgement debts etc.
  61. 60 Navy: amendments as to forefeitures for illegal absence.
  62. 61 Navy: new provisions as to forfeitures and deductions generally, and as to deductions for civil penalties, judgement debts etc.
  63. 62 Amendments of provisions as to service of process in maitenance proceedings.
  64. 63 Minimum age for enlistment or entry without parental etc. consent.
  65. 64 Purchase of discharge from army and air force.
  66. 65 Forefeiture of service for naval deserters.
  67. 66 Redress of complaints.
  68. 67 Naval billeting and requisitioning.
  69. 68 Reductions in rank under Army Act 1955 and Air Force Act 1955.
  70. 69
  71. 70 Taking of affidavits and declarations abroad.
  72. 71 Addition to Naval Discipline Act 1957 of provision indemnifying prison officers etc.
  73. 72 Application of Army Act 1955 and Air Force Act 1955 to passengers in H.M. ships and aircraft.
  74. 73 Appeal against sentence by civilians.
  75. 74 Meaning of “active service” in Naval Discipline Act 1957.
  76. 75 Amendments for introducing naval rate, and marine rank, of warrant officer.
  77. 76 Sufficency of evidence in Scottish courts.
  78. 77 Repeals and transitional provisions.
  79. 78 Short title, construction and commencement.
  80. SCHEDULE 1 AMENDMENTS ARISING FROM PART II OF THIS ACT
  81. Schedule 2 AMENDMENTS ABOUT APPEALS AGAINST SENTENCE
  82. Schedule 3 AMENDMENTS FOR INTRODUCING NAVAL RATE, AND MARINE RANK, OF WARRANT OFFICER
  83. SCHEDULE 4 Repeals

Proposed changes to this act

No one has proposed a change to this act yet.

83 provisions

Title and introductory text

Armed Forces Act 1971 1971 c. 33 An Act to continue the Army Act 1955 and the Air Force Act 1955, to limit the duration of the Naval Discipline Act 1957, and to amend those Acts and other enactments relating to the armed forces. [27th May 1971]

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1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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2 Misconduct in action, assisting the enemy, obstructing operations, etc.

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3 Prize offences.

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4 Offences by or in relation to sentries, persons on watch etc.

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5 Failure to attend for duty, neglect of duty etc.

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6 Looting

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7 Mutiny

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8 Insurbodinate behaviour, and disobedience to lawful commands.

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9 Obstruction of provost officers etc.

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10 Disobedience to standing orders etc.

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11 Desertion.

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12 Absence without leave.

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13 Failure to report or apprehend deserters or absentees.

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14 Malingering.

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15 Drunkeness.

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16 Disorderly conduct.

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17 Service etc. property: damage, loss, misapplication and waste.

(1) The following provisions shall be substituted for sections 44 to 46 of the Army Act 1955:— Damage to, and loss of, public or service property etc. 44 (1) Any person subject to military law who— (a) wilfully damages or causes the loss of, or service is concerned in the wilful damage or loss property of, any public or service property, or any etc. property belonging to another person so subject, or (b) by wilful neglect causes or allows damage to, or the loss of, any public or service property or property so belonging, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act. (2) Any person subject to military law who— (a) by any negligent act or omission causes or allows damage to, or the loss of, any public or service property, or (b) is guilty of any wilful or negligent act or omission which is likely to cause damage to, or the loss of, any such property, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act. Damage to, loss of, Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material. 44A (1) Without prejudice to the generality of section 44 above, a person subject to military law shall be guilty of an offence against this section if he— (a) wilfully damages or causes the loss of, or is material. concerned in the wilful damage or loss of, any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (b) by wilful neglect causes or allows damage to, or the loss of, any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (c) without lawful authority disposes of any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (d) by any negligent act or omission causes or allows damage to, or the loss of, any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (e) is guilty of any wilful or negligent act or omission which is likely to cause damage to, or the loss of, any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material, or (f) during a state of war, wilfully and without proper occasion, or negligently, causes the sequestration by or under the authority of a neutral state, or the destruction in a neutral state, of any of Her Majesty’s aircraft. (2) A person guilty of an offence against this section shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable— (a) if his offence consisted in an act or omission falling within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of subsection (1), or if it consisted in an act or omission falling within paragraph (f) of that subsection and it is proved that he acted wilfully or with wilful neglect, to imprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act; (b) in any other case, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act. Misapplication and waste of public or service property. 45 Any person subject to military law who misapplies or wastefully expends any public or service property shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act. Offences relating to issues and decorations. 46 (1) Any person subject to military law makes away with (whether by pawning, selling, destroying or in any other way), or loses, or by negligence damages or allows to be damaged— (a) any clothing, arms, ammunition or other equipment issued to him for his use for military purposes, or (b) any military, air-force or naval decoration granted to him, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act. (2) It shall be a defence for a person charged under this section with losing any property that he took reasonable steps for its care and preservation. (2) The provisions set out in subsection (1) above shall also be substituted for sections 44 to 46 of the Air Force Act 1955, but modified for that purpose by the substitution throughout of “air-force law” for “military law” and, in the provision to become section 46 of that Act, of “air-force purposes” for “military purposes” and “air-force, military or naval decoration” for “military, air-force or naval decoration”. (3) The provisions set out in subsection (1) above and numbered there as sections 44, 44A and 45 shall also be substituted for sections 29 and 30 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957, being numbered as sections 29, 29A and 30 of that Act respectively, and being modified for that purpose by the substitution throughout of “person subject to this Act” for “person subject to military law” and of “punishment authorised by this Act” for “punishment provided by this Act”, by the substitution, in the provision to become section 29A, of “29” for “44”, and by the omission throughout of “on conviction by court-martial”.

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18 Billeting offences.

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19 Loss or hazarding of ship.

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20 Inaccurate certification of ships and aircraft.

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21 Low flying and annoyance by flying.

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22 Permitting escape, resisting arrest, and escaping.

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23 Offences in relation to courts-martial.

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24 Unauthorised disclosure of information.

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25 False statements on entry into Royal Navy.

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26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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27 Offences against civilian population.

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28 Offences against morale.

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29 Scandalous conduct by officers.

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30 Ill-treatment of persons of inferior rank etc.

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31 Disgraceful conduct.

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32 Attempts, aiding and abetting etc., and inciting.

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33 Conduct to the prejudice of service discipline.

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34 Civil offences.

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35 Abolition of certain offences.

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36 Punishments for army and air-force offences dealt with courts-martial.

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37 Punishments for army and air-force offences dealt with summarily.

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38 Punishments for naval offences.

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39 Imprisonment and detention: consecutive terms.

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