Armed Forces Act 2006

175 Service compensation orders

(1) A service compensation order is an order that requires the offender to pay compensation for any personal injury, loss or damage resulting from—

(a) the offence of which he has been convicted; or

(b) where any other offence is taken into consideration in determining his sentence, any offence so taken into consideration.

(2) A service compensation order must be of such amount as the court considers appropriate, having regard to any evidence and to any representations that are made by or on behalf of the offender or the prosecutor.

(3) In the case of an offence of unlawfully obtaining any property (whether by stealing it, handling it or otherwise), where the property in question is recovered, any damage to the property occurring while it was out of the owner’s possession is to be treated for the purposes of this section as having resulted from the offence, however and by whomever the damage was caused.

(4) No service compensation order may be made in respect of—

(a) bereavement;

(b) funeral expenses; or

(c) loss of any other kind suffered by the dependants of a person in consequence of his death.

(5) No service compensation order may be made in respect of injury, loss or damage due to an accident arising out of the presence of a motor vehicle on a road unless—

(a) it is in respect of damage treated by subsection (3) as resulting from an offence of unlawfully obtaining any property; or

(b) it is in respect of injury, loss or damage as respects which—

(i) the offender is uninsured in relation to the use of the vehicle; and

(ii) compensation is not payable under any arrangements to which the Secretary of State is a party.

(6) Where a service compensation order is made in respect of injury, loss or damage due to an accident arising out of the presence of a motor vehicle on a road, the amount to be paid may include an amount representing the whole or part of any loss of or reduction in preferential rates of insurance attributable to the accident.

(7) For the purposes of subsection (5) a person is not uninsured in relation to the use of a vehicle if—

(a) the vehicle is in the public service of the Crown; or

(b) the use of the vehicle is exempted from insurance by section 144 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) or Article 90(2) of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (S.I. 1981/154 (N.I. 1)).

(8) The court must give reasons, on passing sentence, if it does not make a service compensation order in a case where it has power to do so.

(9) References in this section to “the court” are references to the court or officer sentencing the offender.