Armed Forces Act 1991

23 Interpretation of Part III

(1) In this Part of this Act—

• “accommodation” means any service hospital or other suitable place the occupier of which is willing temporarily to receive the child to whom a protection order relates, whether situated in the United Kingdom, the country or territory where the child resides or elsewhere;

• “assessment order” has the meaning given by section 17 above;

• “child” means a person under the age of eighteen;

• “civilian in a corresponding position” has the same meaning as in section 13 of the [1981 c. 55.] Armed Forces Act 1981;

• “contact order” has the meaning given by section 8(1) of the [1989 c. 41.] Children Act 1989;

• “extension order” has the meaning given by section 21(2) above;

• “officer having jurisdiction” and “superior officer” shall be construed in accordance with subsection (2) below;

• “parental responsibility” has the meaning given by section 3 of the Children Act 1989;

• “parents” shall be construed in accordance with subsection (3) below;

• “protection order” has the meaning given by section 19 above;

• “regulations” means regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament;

• “the responsible person”, in relation to a protection order, has the meaning given by section 20(1) above;

• “service hospital” means a military, air-force or naval unit or establishment or a ship at or in which medical or surgical treatment is provided for persons subject to service law; and

• “service law” means military law, air-force law or the 1957 Act.

(2) Regulations may make provision for determining—

(a) who, in relation to an assessment order or a protection order, is at any time the officer having jurisdiction for the purposes of any of the provisions of this Part of this Act; and

(b) who, in relation to a protection order, is at any time a superior officer for the purposes of sections 21 and 22 above.

(3) Any reference in this Part of this Act to the parents of a child shall be construed without regard to whether they are or have been married to each other at any time; and this subsection is without prejudice to—

(a) the operation of section 1 of the [1987 c. 42.] Family Law Reform Act 1987 as part of the law of England and Wales or section 1 of the [1986 c. 9.] Law Reform (Parent and Child) (Scotland) Act 1986 as part of the law of Scotland; and

(b) any enactment or rule of law relating to adoption or legitimation.

(4) Any power under this Part of this Act to make regulations may make different provision for different cases and for different purposes.