Air Force Act 1955

Miscellaneous offences

60 Injurious disclosures

(1) Any person subject to air-force law who without authority discloses, whether orally, in writing, by signal or by any other means whatsoever, any information which is or purports to be information useful to an enemy shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act.

(2) In this section the expression " information useful to an enemy " means information as to any matter such that information as to it would or might be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy, and in particular (but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions of this subsection) information as to any matter falling within the following paragraphs, being a matter such that information as to it would or might be useful as aforesaid, that is to say:—

(a) the number, description, armament, equipment, disposition, movement or condition of any of Her Majesty's forces or of any forces co-operating therewith, or any of Her Majesty's ships or aircraft or of the ships or aircraft of any such co-operating force;

(b) any operations or projected operations of any of such forces, ships or aircraft as aforesaid ;

(c) any code, cipher, call sign, password or countersign ;

(d) any measures for the defence or fortification of any place on behalf of Her Majesty;

(e) the number, description or location of any prisoners of war;

(f) munitions of war.

61 Making of false statements on enlistment

Any person who, when before a recruiting officer for the purpose of being attested in pursuance of Part I of this Act, has knowingly made a false answer to any question contained in the attestation paper and put to him by or by the direction of the recruiting officer shall, if he has since become and remains subject to air-force law, be liable, on conviction by court-martial, to the like imprisonment as on summary conviction of an offence against section nineteen of this Act or to any less punishment provided by this Act.

62 Making of false documents

Any person subject to air-force law who—

(a) makes, signs or makes an entry in any service report, return, pay list or certificate or other service document, being a document or entry which is to his knowledge false in a material particular, or

(b) alters any service report, return, pay list or certificate or other service document, or alters any entry in such a document, so that the document or entry is to his knowledge false in a material particular, or suppresses, defaces or makes away with any such document or entry which it is his duty to preserve or produce, or

(c) with intent to defraud, fails to make an entry in any such document, or

(d) aids, abets, commands, counsels, procures or connives at the commission by another person subject to air-force law of an offence against this section (whether or not he knows the nature of the document in relation to which that offence will be committed),

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

63 Offences against civilian population

Any person subject to air-force law who, in any country or territory outside the United Kingdom, commits any offence against the person or property of any member of the civil population shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act.

64 Scandalous conduct of officer

Every officer subject to air-force law who behaves in a scandalous manner, unbecoming the character of an officer and a gentleman, shall, on conviction by court-martial, be cashiered.

65 Ill-treatment of officers or men of inferior rank

If—

(a) any officer subject to air-force law strikes or otherwise ill-treats any officer subject thereto of inferior rank or less seniority or any warrant officer, non-commissioned officer or airman subject to air-force law, or

(b) any warrant officer or non-commissioned officer subject to air-force law strikes or otherwise ill-treats any person subject to air-force law, being a warrant officer or noncommissioned officer of inferior rank or less seniority or an airman,

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

66 Disgraceful conduct

Any person subject to air-force law who is guilty of disgraceful conduct of a cruel, indecent or unnatural kind shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act.

67 False accusation, etc.

Any person subject to air-force law who—

(a) makes an accusation against any officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer or airman subject to air-force law which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true, or

(b) in making a complaint where he thinks himself wronged, makes a statement affecting the character of an officer, warrant officer, non-commissioned officer or airman subject to air-force law which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true, or wilfully suppresses any material facts,

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

68 Attempts to commit air-force offences

Any person subject to air-force law who attempts to commit an offence against any of the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to the like punishment as for that offence:

Provided that if the offence is one punishable by death, he shall not be liable to any greater punishment than imprisonment.

69 Conduct to prejudice of air-force discipline

Any person subject to air-force law who is guilty of any act, conduct or neglect to the prejudice of good order and air-force discipline shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or any less punishment provided by this Act.