Part VIII—supplementary
82Part VIII-interpretation
(1)In this Part of this Act—
" confession ", includes any statement wholly or partly adverse to the person who made it, whether made to a person in authority or not and whether made in words or otherwise;
" court-martial" means a court-martial constituted under the [1955 c. 18.] Army Act 1955, the [1955 c. 19.] Air Force Act 1955 or the [1957 c. 53.] Naval Discipline Act 1957 or a disciplinary court constituted under section 50 of the said Act of 1957 ;
" proceedings " means criminal proceedings, including—
(a)proceedings in the United Kingdom or elsewhere before a court-martial constituted under the Army Act 1955 or the Air Force Act 1955 ;
(b)proceedings in the United Kingdom or elsewhere before the Courts-Martial Appeal Court—
(i)on an appeal from a court-martial so constituted or from a court-martial constituted under the [1957 c. 53.] Naval Discipline Act 1957 ; or
(ii)on a reference under section 34 of the [1968 c. 20.] Courts Martial (Appeals) Act 1968 ; and
(b)proceedings before a Standing Civilian Court; and
"Service court" means a court-martial or a Standing Civilian Court.
(2)In this Part of this Act references to conviction before a Service court are references—
(a)as regards a court-martial constituted under the [1955 c. 18.] Army Act 1955 or the [1955 c. 19.] Air Force Act 1955, to a finding of guilty which is, or falls to be treated as, a finding of the court duly confirmed ;
(b)as regards—
(i)a court-martial; or
(ii)a disciplinary court,
constituted under the Naval Discipline Act 1957, to a finding of guilty which is, or falls to be treated as, the finding of the court;
and " convicted " shall be construed accordingly.
(3)Nothing in this Part of this Act shall prejudice any power of a court to exclude evidence (whether by preventing questions from being put or otherwise) at its discretion.