Armed Forces Act 1971

5 Failure to attend for duty, neglect of duty etc.

(1) The following provision shall be inserted in the [1955 c. 18.] Army Act 1955 after section 29, and section 41 of that Act (failure to ' perform military duties) shall accordingly cease to have effect:—

“29A Failure to attend for duty, neglect of duty etc.

Any person subject to military law who—

(a) without reasonable excuse fails to attend for any duty of any description, or leaves any such duty before he is permitted to do so, or

(b) neglects to perform, or negligently performs, any duty of any description,

shall be liable, on conviction by court-martial, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act.”

(2) The provision set out in subsection (1) above shall also be inserted in the [1955 c. 19.] Air Force Act 1955 after section 29, but modified for that purpose by the substitution of " air-force law " for "military law "; and section 41 of that Act shall also cease to have effect.

(3) The said provision shall also be substituted for section 7 of the [1957 c. 53.] Naval Discipline Act 1957 (neglect of duty), being numbered as section 7 of that Act, and being modified for that purpose by the substitution of " person subject to this Act " for " person subject to military law" and of " punishment authorised by this Act" for " punishment provided by this Act", and by the omission of " on conviction by court-martial ".