Naval Discipline Act 1957 (repealed)

61 Courts-martial to sit in open court.F2 U.K.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section and to any provisions of General Orders under section fifty-eight of this Act with respect to the deliberations of the court upon their finding and sentence or upon other matters specified in those Orders, a court-martial shall sit in open court and in the presence of the accused.

(2) It is hereby declared that a court-martial has the like power to order the exclusion of the public from its proceedings as a civil court; and without prejudice to any such power, a court-martial may order that, subject to such exceptions, if any, as the court may specify, the public shall be excluded from all or any part of the proceedings of the court if it appears to the court that any evidence to be given or statement made in the course of the proceedings or of that part of the proceedings, as the case may be, might otherwise lead to the disclosure of any information which would or might be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy.

[F1 (3) A court-martial shall sit in closed court while deliberating on their finding and sentence on any charge.

(4) A court-martial may sit in closed court on any other deliberation amongst the members.

(5) Where a court-martial sits in closed court no person shall be present except the members of the court and such other persons as may be prescribed by rules under section 58 of this Act.

(6) The judge advocate shall not be present while the other members of the court are deliberating on their finding on any charge.

(7) Any ruling or direction of the judge advocate on a question of law (including a question of procedure or practice) shall be given in open court.

(8) The judge advocate may determine, and give rulings on, questions of law (including questions of procedure and practice) in the absence of the other members of the court.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 61(3)-(8) added (1.4.1997 with savings) by 1996 c. 46, s. 5, Sch. 1 Pt. III para. 60; S.I. 1997/304, art. 2 (with art. 3)

Textual Amendments applied to the whole legislation

F2 Act repealed (1.1.2008 for the repeal of s. 130 only, 28.3.2009 for further specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 17; S.I. 2007/2913, art. 3 (with art. 4(1)(2)); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059)