Naval Discipline Act 1957 (repealed)

Valid from 01/01/2008

[F365A Powers to compel attendance of witnesses]U.K.

(1)Where the appropriate person (as defined by subsection (2) below) is satisfied by evidence on oath—

(a)that a person not subject to this Act who is in the United Kingdom or in any colony is likely to be able to give material evidence or produce any document or other thing likely to be material evidence at a trial by court-martial in the United Kingdom or (as the case may be) in that colony,

(b)that he will not voluntarily attend as a witness or produce the document or other thing, and

(c)that it is probable that a summons requiring him to attend the court to give evidence or to produce the document or other thing would not procure his attendance,

the appropriate person may, instead of issuing a summons requiring that person to attend, issue a warrant to arrest him and bring him before the court-martial at a time and place specified in the warrant.

(2)For the purposes of subsection (1) above the appropriate person is, at any time before the court-martial is convened, a judicial officer and, thereafter, the judge advocate.

(3)Where—

(a)a person not subject to this Act (“the defaulter”) fails to attend a court-martial held in the United Kingdom or any colony in response to a summons requiring him to so attend,

(b)the judge advocate is satisfied by evidence on oath that the defaulter is in the United Kingdom or (as the case may be) the colony and that he is likely to be able to give material evidence or produce any document or other thing likely to be material evidence in the proceedings,

(c)it is proved on oath or in such manner as may be prescribed by rules under section 58 of this Act that the defaulter has been duly served with the summons and that any expenses to which he is entitled by virtue of regulations made by the Defence Council have been paid or tendered (within the meaning of section 65(3) of this Act), and

(d)it appears to the judge advocate that there is no just excuse for the defaulter’s failure to attend,

the judge advocate may issue a warrant to arrest the defaulter and bring him before the court-martial at a time and place specified in the warrant.

(4)A warrant under subsection (1) or (3) above must be addressed to a constable.

(5)Subsections (1) to (4) above apply in relation to proceedings before a judicial officer as they apply in relation to a court-martial, and in their application in relation to such proceedings—

(a)any reference to a court-martial shall be construed as a reference to those proceedings or to the judicial officer (as appropriate);

(b)the reference in subsection (1)(a) above to a trial by court-martial shall be construed as a reference to the proceedings before the judicial officer;

(c)the appropriate person for the purposes of subsection (1) above is (instead of the person mentioned in subsection (2) above) the judicial officer;

(d)for paragraph (c) of subsection (3) above there is substituted—

(c)“it is proved on oath or in such manner as may be prescribed by rules under section 47N of this Act that he has been duly served with the summons and that any expenses to which he is entitled under those rules have been paid or tendered (within the meaning of those rules), and ” and

(e)any reference in that subsection to the judge advocate shall be construed as a reference to the judicial officer.

(6)Subsections (1) to (4) above apply in relation to the summary appeal court as they apply in relation to a court-martial, and in their application in relation to the summary appeal court—

(a)any reference to a court-martial shall be construed as a reference to the summary appeal court;

(b)the reference in subsection (1)(a) above to a trial by court-martial shall be construed as a reference to the hearing of an appeal by the summary appeal court;

(c)the appropriate person for the purposes of subsection (1) above is (instead of the person mentioned in subsection (2) above)—

(i)at any time before the commencement of the hearing by the summary appeal court, any judge advocate appointed under section 52FG of this Act, and

(ii)thereafter, the summary appeal court;

(d)for paragraph (c) of subsection (3) above there is substituted—

(c)it is proved on oath or in such manner as may be prescribed by rules under section 52FP of this Act that he has been duly served with the summons and that any expenses to which he is entitled under those rules have been paid or tendered (within the meaning of those rules), and ; and

(e)any reference in that subsection to the judge advocate shall be construed as a reference to the summary appeal court.]