Army Act 1955 (repealed)

[F171 Scale of punishments, and supplementary provisions.F11U.K.

(1)The punishments which may be awarded by sentence of a court-martial under this Act are, subject to thefollowing provisions of this section [F2and section 71A below] and to the limitations hereinafter provided on the powers of certain courts-martial, as follows—

(a)death,

(b)imprisonment,

[F3(bb)detention by virtue of a custodial order made under section 71AA of this Act;]

[F4(bc)order that the convicted person be disqualified from working with children]

(c)dismissal with disgrace from Her Majesty’s service,

(d)dismissal from Her Majesty’s service,

(e)detention for a term not exceeding two years,

(f)forfeiture of seniority for a specified term or otherwise,

(g)reduction to the ranks or any less reduction in rank,

(h)fine,

(i)severe reprimand,

(j)reprimand,

(k)in the case of an offence which has occasioned any expense [F5personal injury] , loss or damage, stoppages, and

(l)such minor punishments as may from time to time be authorised by the Defence Council;

and references in this Act to any punishment provided by this Act are, subject to the limitationimposed in any particular case by the addition of the word “less", references to any one or more ofthe said punishments.

For the purposes of this Part of this Act a punishment specified in any of the above paragraphs shallbe treated as less than the punishments specified in the paragraphs preceding that paragraph and greaterthan those specified in the paragraphs following it:

(2)Subsection (1) above shall have effect—

(a)in relation to a convicted person who is an officer, with the omission of paragraphs (e), (g) and (l),

(b)in relation to a convicted person who is a warrant officer, with the omission of paragraphs (f) and (l),

(c)in relation to a convicted person who is a non-commissioned officer, with the omission of paragraph (f),and

(d)in relation to a convicted person who is a soldier, with the omission of paragraphs (f), (g), (i) and(j).

(3)A person [F7who, otherwise than under section 57(2) of this Act, is] sentenced by a court-martial to imprisonment shall also be sentenced either to dismissal with disgracefrom Her Majesty’s service or to dismissal from Her Majesty’s service:

(4)A warrant officer or non-commissioned officer [F7who, otherwise than under section 57(2) of this Act, is] sentenced by a court-martial to imprisonment, to dismissal from Her Majesty’s service (whether or notwith disgrace), or to detention, shall also be sentenced to be reduced to the ranks:

(5)The amount of a fine that may be awarded by a court-martial—

(a)except in the case of an offence against section 70 of this Act, shall not exceed the amount of theoffender’s pay for twenty-eight days or, where the offence was committed on active service, fifty-six days,and

(b)in the said excepted case—

(i)where the civil offence constituting an offence against that section is punishable by a civil court inEngland only on summary conviction, and is so punishable by a fine, shall not exceed the maximum amount ofthat fine, and

(ii)where the said civil offence is punishable by a civil court in England on indictment (whether or notit is also punishable on summary conviction) by a fine, shall not exceed the maximum amount of that fine;

F8. . ..

[F9(5A)For the purposes of subsection (5) above, a day’s pay shall be taken to be–

(a)subject to paragraph (b) below, the gross pay which is, or would apart from any forfeiture be, issuable to the offender in respect of the day on which the punishment is awarded;

(b)if the offender is a special member of a reserve force, the gross pay which would have been issuable to him in respect of that day if he had been an ordinary member of that reserve force of the same rank.

F9(5B)In subsection (5A)(b) above “special member" and “ordinary member" have the same meaning as in the Reserve Forces Act 1996.]

[F10(6)Unless the Secretary of State by order provides that this subsection shall no longer apply, the stoppages awarded by a court-martial in respect of any offence occasioning personal injury of which a person is convicted or any other such offence which is taken into consideration in determining sentence shall not exceed such sum as is for the time being specified by an order made by the Secretary of State.

(7)The power to make an order under subsection (6) above shall be exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.]]