Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52)

Part 9 U.K. Sentencing: Principles and Procedures

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Pt. 9 modified (31.10.2009) by The Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/2041), art. 1, s. 163

Chapter 1 U.K. Principles and Procedures applying to Service Courts and Summary Hearings

Reasons U.K.

252 Duty to give reasons and explain sentence U.K.

(1) Any court or officer passing sentence on an offender for a service offence—

(a) must state in open court, in ordinary language and in general terms and in accordance with section 253, its (or his) reasons for deciding on the sentence passed; and

(b) must explain to the offender in ordinary language—

(i) the effect of the sentence;

(ii) where the offender is required to comply with any order forming part of the sentence, the effects of non-compliance with the order;

(iii) any power, on the application of the offender or any other person, to vary or review any order forming part of the sentence; and

(iv) where the sentence consists of or includes a fine, the effects of failure to pay the fine.

F1 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) The Secretary of State may by order—

(a) prescribe cases in which subsection (1)(a) or (b) does not apply;

(b) prescribe cases in which the statement referred to in subsection (1)(a) or the explanation referred to in subsection (1)(b) may be made in the absence of the offender, or may be provided in written form.

(4) In this section and section 253 “sentence” includes any order made when dealing with the offender in respect of his offence.

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 252(2) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(a), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2 S. 252 applied (31.10.2009) by The Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/2041), art. 1, rule 123

C3 S. 252 applied (13.11.2023) by S.I. 2009/1211, rule 88H (as inserted by The Armed Forces (Amendment of Court Rules) Rules 2023 (S.I. 2023/1097), rules 1(2), 13)

C4 S. 252 applied (13.11.2023) by S.I. 2009/1209, rule 99E (as inserted by The Armed Forces (Amendment of Court Rules) Rules 2023 (S.I. 2023/1097), rules 1(2), 5)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 252 in force at 28.3.2009 for specified purposes by S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059)

I2 S. 252 in force at 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4

253 Duties in complying with section 252 U.K.

(1) In complying with section 252(1)(a) an officer or the Summary Appeal Court must—

F2 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) if section 239 (guilty pleas) applies and as a result of taking into account a matter mentioned in section 239(2) the officer or court has imposed a punishment on the offender which is less severe than the punishment that would otherwise have been imposed, state that fact;

F3 (c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F3 (d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) In complying with section 252(1)(a) a court other than the Summary Appeal Court must—

(a) where guidelines indicate that a sentence of a particular kind, or within a particular range, would normally be appropriate for the offence and the sentence is of a different kind or is outside that range, state the court's reasons for deciding on a sentence of a different kind or outside that range;

F4 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) if section 239 (guilty pleas) applies and as a result of taking into account a matter mentioned in section 239(2) the court has imposed a punishment on the offender which is less severe than the punishment it would otherwise have imposed, state that fact;

F5 (d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5 (e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5 (f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5 (g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5 (h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) In this section “guidelines” has the same meaning as in section 259.

Textual Amendments

F2 S. 253(1)(a) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(b), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)

F3 S. 253(1)(c)(d) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(b), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)

F4 S. 253(2)(b) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(b), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)

F5 S. 253(2)(d)-(h) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(b), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C5 S. 253(2) applied (31.10.2009) by The Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/2041), art. 1, rule 123

C6 S. 253(2) applied (13.11.2023) by S.I. 2009/1211, rule 88H (as inserted by The Armed Forces (Amendment of Court Rules) Rules 2023 (S.I. 2023/1097), rules 1(2), 13)

C7 S. 253(2) applied (13.11.2023) by S.I. 2009/1209, rule 99E (as inserted by The Armed Forces (Amendment of Court Rules) Rules 2023 (S.I. 2023/1097), rules 1(2), 5)

Commencement Information

I3 S. 253 in force at 28.3.2009 for specified purposes by S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059)

I4 S. 253 in force at 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4