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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.
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33 provisions
Title and introductory text
Armed Forces Act 1976
1976 c. 52
An Act to continue the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 and the Naval Discipline Act 1957; to amend those Acts and other enactments relating to the armed forces; to authorise the establishment of courts for the trial outside the United Kingdom of civilians subject to Part II of the Army Act 1955 or Part II of the Air Force Act 1955; to make provision for the powers of the courts so authorised in relation to such civilians; to make further provision for the powers of courts-martial in relation to such civilians and to civilians subject to Parts I and II of the Naval Discipline Act 1957; to make further provision as to the disqualification of members of the forces for membership of the House of Commons or the Northern Ireland Assembly; to make further provision for Greenwich Hospital; and for connected purposes.
[26th October 1976]
Propose a change1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change2 Regulations as to variation of term of service.
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Propose a change3 Royal Marines.
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Propose a change4 QARNNS and WRNS.
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Propose a change5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change6 Establishment of Standing Civilian Courts.
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Propose a change7 Jurisdiction of Standing Civilian Courts.
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Propose a change8 Powers of courts in relation to civilians.
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Propose a change9 Constitution of courts-martial for civilians.
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Propose a change10 Powers of courts in relation to juveniles.
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Propose a change11 Proof at courts-martial by written statement.
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Propose a change12 Exemption of certain persons from duty to take oath at court-martial.
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Propose a change13 Imprisonment in default of payment of fines.
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Propose a change14 Restitution and compensation.
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Propose a change15 Territorial scope of certain offences.
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Propose a change16 Enforcement by civil courts of financial penalties awarded under Services Acts.
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Propose a change17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Propose a change18 Deductions for maintenance of children.
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Propose a change19 Deductions from RAF pensions
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Propose a change20 Disqualification of members of forces for House of Commons and Northern Ireland Assembly.
In section 1 of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 and section 1 of the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975 (each of which disqualifies holders of certain offices and places)—
(a) the words “or the Ulster Defence Regiment" shall be added at the end of subsection (1)(c), and
(b) the following definition shall be substituted for the definition of “regular armed forces of the Crown" in subsection (3) of the former section and subsection (3) of the former section and subsection (2) of the latter, namely— “ “regular armed forces of the Crown” means the Royal Navy, the regular forces as defined by section 225 of the Army Act 1955, the regular air force as defined by section 223 of the Air Force Act 1955, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service and the Women’s Royal Naval Service. ”
Propose a change21 Greenwich Hospital.
(1) The Secretary of State shall continue to apply the income of the Travers Foundation property, after deducting the necessary and proper expenses of management, in granting such pensions to qualified officers, and under such conditions, as Her Majesty may from time to time by Order in Council direct; and all such pensions shall continue to be distinguished as Travers pensions.
(2) Subject to subsection (1) above, the Secretary of State shall apply the income of the Travers Foundation property for the general purposes of the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967.
(3) The Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967 shall have effect as if the said property were property which vested in the Admiralty by virtue of the Greenwich Hospital Act 1865, and the capital and revenue of the property were capital and revenue of Greenwich Hospital, except that the accounts of the property shall be kept distinct from the general accounts of Greenwich Hospital, and be shown separately in any statement rendered to Parliament under the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967.
(4) The rents and profits of the lands which vested in the Admiralty by virtue of the Greenwich Hospital Act 1865 and the Naval Knights of Windsor (Dissolution) Act 1892 shall continue to be paid, either with or without deductions of the necessary and proper expenses of management of those lands, and of other necessary and proper outgoings in respect of them, into the Bank of England to the cash account of Her Majesty’s Paymaster General, who shall carry them to the Greenwich Hospital Income Account and to the account mentioned in subsection (3) above respectively.
(5) In this section—
“qualified officers” means retired officers of the rank of lieutenant in the Royal Navy, or officers of the Royal Navy who have retired from the active list of lieutenants with the rank of commander in the Royal Navy; and
“the Travers Foundation property” means the property which was transferred to the Admiralty by the Naval Knights of Windsor (Dissolution) Act 1892 and from them to the Secretary of State by the Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964.
Propose a change22 Citation etc.
(1) This Act may be cited as the Armed Forces Act 1976.
(2) Section 21 above may be cited together with the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1967 as the Greenwich Hospital Acts 1865 to 1976.
(3) Except so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any other enactment is a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any subsequent enactment, including an enactment contained in this Act.
(4) Any power to make an order conferred by any provision of this Act shall include power to make an order varying or revoking any order previously made under that provision.
(5) The minor and consequential amendments specified in Schedule 9 to this Act shall have effect.
(6) The enactments specified in Schedule 10 to this Act (which include enactments which were obsolete or unnecessary before the passing of this Act) are repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.
(7) The following provisions of this Act shall come into force on the day this Act is passed, namely—
section 1;
section 10;
section 17(1);
section 20(a);
section 21;
subsections (1) to (4) and (7) to (9) of this section;
subsection (5) of this section so far as it relates to paragraphs 4, 11 and 20(2), (4) and (5) of Schedule 9; and
subsection (6) of this section so far as it relates to the repeal of the following, namely—
the Naval Knights of Windsor (Dissolution) Act 1892,
section 1 of the Armed Forces Act 1971,
section 10(4) of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, and
section 5(3) of the Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975.
(8) Subject to subsection (7) above, this Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.
(9) An order under subsection (8) above—
(a) may appoint different days for different provisions and for different purposes; and
(b) may make savings from the effect of any provision which it brings into force.
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Propose a changeSCHEDULE 9 Miscellaneous Amendments
Section 22.
Criminal Evidence Act 1898
1 In section 6(1) of the Criminal Evidence Act 1898 after the words “1957" there shall be inserted the words “and in Standing Civilian Courts established under the Armed Forces Act 1976".
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Army Act 1955 and Air Force Act 1955
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Criminal Justice Act 1967
15 In section 89(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 (false written statements tendered in evidence) after the word “Act" there shall be inserted the words “or in proceedings before a court-martial by virtue of the said section 9 as extended by section 12 above or by section 99A of the Army Act 1955 or section 99A of the Air Force Act 1955".
Courts-Martial (Appeals) Act 1968
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Treatment of Offenders Act (Northern Ireland) 1968
18 In section 33(4)(b) of the Treatment of Offenders Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 after the words “court-martial" there shall be inserted the words “or a Standing Civilian Court established under the Armed Forces Act 1976".
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Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
20 (1) In subsection (1) of section 2 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 after the word “awarded" there shall be inserted the words “or order made by virtue of Schedule 5A to the Army Act 1955 or to the Air Force Act 1955 or Schedule 4A to the Naval Discipline Act 1957".
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(3) The following paragraph shall be inserted after subsection (5)(b) of that section:—
(bb) any proceedings before a Standing Civilian Court established under the Armed Forces Act 1976 ;
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(4) In paragraph (d) of section 5(1) of that Act (sentences excluded from rehabilitation) at the end of the paragraph there shall be inserted the words “or a corresponding court-martial punishment".
(5) The following subsection shall be inserted after that subsection:—
(IA) In subsection (1)(d) above “corresponding court martial punishment” means a punishment awarded under section 71A(3) or (4) of the Army Act 1955, section 7IA(3) or (4) of the Air Force Act 1955 or section 43A(3) or (4) of the Naval Discipline Act 1957.
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21 (1) The following entries shall be made in Table B in subsection (2) of section 5 of that Act (rehabilitation periods for particular sentences):—
(a) after the entry relating to a sentence of Borstal training—
A custodial order under Schedule 5A to the Army Act 1955 or the Air Force Act 1955, or under Schedule 4A to the Naval Discipline Act 1957, where the maximum period of detention specified in the order is more than six months. | Seven years.
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(b) after the entry relating to an order for detention in a detention centre:—
A custodial order under any of the Schedules to the said Acts of 1955 and 1957 mentioned above, where the maximum period of detention specified in the order is six months or less. | Three years.
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(2) The following paragraphs shall be added after subsection (5)(f) of that section:—
(g) a community supervision order under Schedule 5A to the Army Act 1955 or the Air Force Act 1955, or under Schedule 4A to the Naval Discipline Act 1957;
(h) a reception order under any of those Schedules;
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(3) The following subsection shall be inserted after subsection (10) of that section:—
(1OA) The reference in subsection (5) above to the period during which a reception order has effect includes a reference to any subsequent period during wwhich by virtue of the order having been made the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 or the Children and Young Persons Act Northern Ireland) 1968 has effect in relation to the person in respect of whom the order was made and subsection (10) above shall accordingly have effect in relation to any such subsequent period.
Treatment of Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1976
22 In Article 2(2) of the Treatment of Offenders Ireland) Order 1976, in the definition of “court" after the words “court-martial" there shall be inserted the words “ or a Standing Civilian Court established under the Armed Forces Act 1976".
Propose a changeSCHEDULE 10 Repeals
Section 22.
Chapter | Short Title | Extent of Repeal
55 & 56 Vict. c. 34. | Naval Knights of Windsor (Dissolution) Act 1892. | The whole Act.
4 Eliz. 2. c. 18. | The Army Act 1955. | In section 17(2), the words “except those relating to discharge by purchase)". In section 78(3), in the second proviso, in paragraph (a), the words “fourteen days or, where the offence was committed on active service," and in paragraph (b)(i), the words “fourteen days or, where the civil offence constituting the offence against that section was committed on active service,".
Section 86(4).
In section 93(1), the words “shorthand writer".
In section 225(1), in the definition of “Her Majesty’s forces", the words “37 and".
In Schedule 7, in paragraph 1, the words from “10" to “and", in the second place where it occurs, paragraph 5A, and in paragraph 6, the words “sections fourteen and seventeen".
3 & 4 Eliz. 2. c. 19. | The Air Force Act 1955. | In section 17(2), the words “(except those relating to discharge by purchase)" .
In section 78(3), in the second proviso, in paragraph (a), the words “fourteen days or, where the offence was committed on active service," and in paragraph (b)(i), the words “fourteen days or, where the civil offence constituting the offence against that section was committed on active service,".
Section 86(4).
In section 93(1), the words “shorthand writer".
In section 223(1), in the definition of “Her Majesty’s forces", the words “37 and".
5 & 6 Eliz. 2. c. 53. | The Naval Discipline Act 1957. | In section 60(1), the words “for the purpose of reporting or transcribing the proceedings or".
Section 76(5).
Section 111(5)(a) and (b).
Section 113(3).
1966 c. 45. | The Armed Forces Act 1966. | In section 13(1), the words from “and in place" to the end of the subsection.
In Schedule 3, paragraph 2.
1971 c. 33. | The Armed Forces Act 1971. | Section 1.
In section 67(3), the words from the beginning of the subsection to “have effect and".
In Schedule 1, paragraph 2(8).
In Schedule 3, in paragraph 5(3), the words “and (8)".
1974 c. 23. | The Juries Act 1974. | In Part III of Schedule 1 the words “or any Voluntary Aid Detachment serving with the Royal Navy".
1975 c. 24. | The House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975. | Section 10(4).
1975 c. 25. | The Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975. | Section 5(3).
Propose a change