Army Act 1955 (repealed)

Mutiny and insubordinationF9 U.K.

Textual Amendments applied to the whole legislation

F9 Act: the provisions of the 1955 Acts providing for findings of courts-martial to be subject to confirmation and to revision at the direction of the confirming officer cease to have effect (1.4.1997 subject to art. 3 of the commencing S.I.) by virtue of 1996 c. 46, s. 15; S.I. 1997/304, arts. 2, 3, Sch. 2

31 Mutiny. U.K.

(1) Any person subject to military law who—

(a) takes part in a mutiny F1 having as its object or one of its objects the refusal or avoidance of any dutyor service against, or in connection with operations against, the enemy, or the impeding of the performanceof any such duty or service, or

(b) incites any person subject to service law to take part in such a mutiny, whether actual or intended,

shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to suffer death or any other punishment provided bythis Act.

(2) Any person subject to military law who, in a case not falling within the last foregoing subsection,takes part in a mutiny, or incites any person subject to service law to take part in a mutiny, whetheractual or intended, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment or any less punishmentprovided by this Act.

(3) In this Act the expression “mutiny” means a combination between two or more persons subject to service law, or betweenpersons two at least of whom are subject to service law—

(a) to overthrow or resist lawful authority in Her Majesty’s forces or any forces co-operating therewithor in any part of any of the said forces,

(b) to disobey such authority in such circumstances as to make the disobedience subversive of discipline,or with the object of avoiding any duty or service against, or in connection with operations against, theenemy, or

(c) to impede the performance of any duty or service in Her Majesty’s forces or in any forces co-operatingtherewith or in any part of any of the said forces;F1

Textual Amendments

F1 Words repealed by Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), ss. 78(4), Sch. 4 Pt. I

32 Failure to suppress mutiny. U.K.

Any person subject to military law who, knowing that a mutiny is taking place or is intended,—

(a) fails to use his utmost endeavours to suppress or prevent it, or

(b) fails to report without delay that the mutiny is taking place or is intended,

shall on conviction by court-martial,—

(i) if his offence was committed with intent to assist the enemy, be liable to suffer death or any otherpunishment provided by this Act,

(ii) in any other case, be liable to imprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act.

33 Insubordinate behaviour. U.K.

(1) Any person subject to military law who—

(a) F2 uses violence to, or offers violence to, his superior officer, or

(b) uses threatening or insubordinate language to his superior officer,

shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment or any less punishment provided bythis Act:

[F3 Provided that it shall be a defence for any person charged under this subsection toprove that he neither knew nor had reasonable cause to believe that the person in relation to whom theoffence is alleged to have been committed was his superior officer.]

(2) In the foregoing provisions of this section the expression “superior officer”, in relation to any person, means an officer, warrant officer ornon-commissioned officer of the regular forces of superior rank, and includes an officer, warrant officeror non-commissioned officer of those forces of equal rank but greater seniority while exercising authorityas the said person’s superior.

Textual Amendments

F2 Words repealed by Armed Forces Act 1986 (c. 21, SIF 7:1), ss. 4(1), 16(2), Sch. 2

F3 Proviso substituted by Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), ss. 8(1), 78(4)

[F4 34 Disobedience to lawful commands. U.K.

Any person subject to military law who, whether wilfully or, through neglect, disobeys any lawfulcommand (by whatever means communicated to him) shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable toimprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act.]

Textual Amendments

F4 S. 34 substituted by Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), ss. 8(2), 78(4)

[F5 34A Failure to provide a sample for drug testing. U.K.

(1) Any person subject to military law who, when requested to do so by a drug testing officer, fails to provide a sample of his urine for testing for the presence of drugs shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or any less punishment provided by this Act.

(2) For the purposes of this section—

• “drug” means any drug which is a controlled drug for the purposes of the M1 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and

• “drug testing officer” means an officer, warrant officer or non-commissioned officer who is authorised by or in accordance with Queen’s Regulations for the purpose of supervising the conduct of tests for the presence of drugs.]

Textual Amendments

F5 S. 34A inserted (1.10.1996 subject to art. 3 of the commencing S.I.) by 1996 c. 46, s. 32(1); S.I. 1996/2474, art. 2 (with art. 3)

Marginal Citations

M1 1971 c. 38.

35 Obstruction of provost officers. U.K.

Any person subject to military law who—

(a) obstructs, or

(b) when called on, refuses to assist,

[F6 any provost officer, or any person] (whether subject to military law or not) legally exercising authority under or on behalf of a provostofficer, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two yearsor any less punishment provided by this Act:

[F7 Provided that it shall be a defence for any person charged under this section to provethat he neither knew nor had reasonable cause to believe that the person in relation to whom the offenceis alleged to have been committed was a provost officer or, as the case may be, a person legally exercisingauthority under or on behalf of a provost officer.]

Textual Amendments

F6 Words substituted by Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), ss. 9(1)(a), 78(4)

F7 Proviso inserted by Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), ss. 9(1)(b), 78(4)

36 Disobedience to standing orders. U.K.

(1) Any person subject to military law who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of orders towhich this section applies, being a provision known to him, or which he might reasonably be expected toknow, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two yearsor any less punishment provided by this Act.

(2) This section applies to standing orders or other routine orders of a continuing nature made for anyformation or unit or [F8 body of Her Majesty’s forces], or for any command or other area, garrison or place, or for any ship, train or aircraft.

Textual Amendments

F8 Words substituted by Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), ss. 10(1), 78(4)