Armed Forces Act 1971

PART VI Supplemental

77 Repeals and transitional provisions

(1) The enactments specified in Schedule 4 to this Act (Part II of which includes certain enactments which are spent) are hereby repealed to the extent specified in column 3 of that Schedule.

(2) Any regulations in force at the commencement of this section under section 44(7) of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 (rates to which offenders may be reduced by sentences of disrating) shall thereafter have effect as if made under the provision becoming section 43(5) of that Act by virtue of section 38 of this Act; and any regulations so in force under paragraph 6(2) of Schedule 2 to the Revision of the [1955 c. 20.] Army and Air Force Acts (Transitional Provisions) Act 1955 (adaptation for navy of army provisions as to billeting and requisitioning) shall have effect as if made under section 67(2) of this Act.

78 Short title, construction and commencement

(1) This Act may be cited as the Armed Forces Act 1971.

(2) 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.

(3) This Act, except section 1 and this section, shall come into force on such date as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint, but subject to the qualifications specified in subsection (4) below.

(4) The said qualifications are as follows:—

(a) the following provisions of this Act, that is to say, Part II, section 69, Schedule 1 and Part I of Schedule 4, shall not have effect in relation to any act or omission occurring before the date appointed under subsection (3) above, and, in particular, shall not affect the operation of any enactment in force immediately before that date in relation to any offence against any such enactment committed, or partly committed, before that date;

(b) the provisions to become sections 128B and 128C of the [1957 c. 53.] Naval Discipline Act 1957 by virtue of section 61(1) of this Act shall apply only to sums payable under sentences and orders awarded or made in respect of offences committed on or after the date appointed under subsection (3) above, or, as the case may be, to loss or damage occasioned by acts and omissions occurring on or after that date ;

(c) the provision to become section 129D of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 by virtue of section 65 of this Act shall apply only to desertions beginning on or after the date appointed under subsection (3) above, and the amendment of section 75(1) of that Act effected by section 60 of this Act and Part II of Schedule 4 shall have effect only in relation to absences so beginning.

(5) Section 59 of this Act, the provision to become section 128E of the Naval Discipline Act 1957 by virtue of section 61(1) of this Act, and section 61(2) of this Act, shall each apply to liabilities arising before, as well as after, the date appointed under subsection (3) above.