General Courtsmartial.

District or Garrison Courts

martial.

Regimental and
Detachment

14 VICT. Court-martial by virtue of this Act or of the Articles of War, may be tried and punished for the same in any Part of Her Majesty's Dominions where he may have come or be after the Commission of the Offence, as if the Offence had been committed where such Trial shall take place.

VII. A General Court-martial convened in Saint Helena, the Settlements on the Western Coast of Africa, Honduras, New Zealand, the Australian Colonies, Hong Kong, and the Settlements on the Coast of China, and Prince of Wales Island, Singapore, and Malacca, shall consist of not less than Five Commissioned Officers; if convened in Jamaica, Newfoundland, Bermuda, or the Bahamas, or in any Part out of the Queen's Dominions excepting the Ionian Islands and the Parts before mentioned, it shall consist of not less than Seven, and if convened in any other Part of the Queen's Dominions, or in the Ionian Islands, or in the Settlements of the East India Company, it shall consist of not less than Thirteen Commissioned Officers; and shall have Power to sentence any Officer or Soldier to suffer Death, Transportation, or any other Punishment which shall accord with the Provisions of this Act.

VIII. A District or Garrison Court-martial shall consist of not less than Seven Commissioned Officers, except in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Saint Helena, Jamaica, Honduras, Newfoundland, New Zealand, the Australian Colonies, the Windward and Leeward Islands, British Guiana, Hong Kong, and the Settlements on the Coast of China, where it may consist of not less than Five Commissioned Officers, and in the Settlements on the Western Coast of Africa, where it may consist of not less than Three Commissioned Officers; and such Court-martial shall have the same Power as a General Court-martial to sentence any Soldier to such Punishments as shall accord with the Provisions of this Act: Provided always, that such Court-martial shall not have Power to try a Commissioned Officer, nor to pass any Sentence of Death or Transportation.

IX. A Regimental or Detachment Court-martial shall consist of not less than Five Officers, unless it is found to be impractiCourts-martial. cable to assemble that Number, when Three may be sufficient, and shall have Power to sentence any Soldier to Corporal Punishment, or to Imprisonment, and to Forfeiture of Pay, in such Manner as shall accord with the Provisions of this Act.

Courts-martial
on Line of
March or in
Troop Ships.

Courts-martial

X. In Cases of Mutiny and gross Insubordination, or other Offences committed on the Line of March, or on board any Transport Ship, Convict Ship, Merchant Vessel, or Troop Ship not in Commission, the Offender may be tried by a Regimental or Detachment Court-martial, and the Sentence confirmed and carried into execution on the Spot by the Officer in the immediate Command of the Troops, provided that the Sentence shall not exceed that which a Regimental Court-martial is competent to award.

XI. It shall be lawful for any Officer commanding any in special Cases Detachment or Portion of Her Majesty's Troops which may

out of the

minions.

at any Time be serving out of Her Majesty's Dominions, upon Queen's DoComplaint made to him of any Offence committed against the Property or Person of any Inhabitant of or Resident in any such Countries, by any Person serving with or belonging to Her Majesty's Armies, being under the immediate Command of any such Officer, to convene a Detachment General Court-martial, which shall consist of not less than Three Officers, for the Purpose of trying any such Person; and every such Courtmartial shall have the same Powers in regard to Sentence upon Offenders as are granted by this Act to General Courts-martial: Provided always, that no Sentence of any such Court-martial shall be executed until the General commanding the Army to which the Division, Brigade, Detachment, or Party to which any Person so tried, convicted, and adjudged to suffer Punishment shall belong shall have approved and confirmed the same.

of Marines and.

XII. Where necessary or expedient, Officers of Her Ma- Mixed Courtsjesty's Royal Marines, or Officers in the Service of the East martial in case India Company, or Officers of both such Services, may sit on East India Courts-martial, together with Officers of Her Majesty's Land Company. Forces, whether the Commanding Officer by whose Order such Court-martial is assembled belongs to the Land or to the Marine Forces; and when the Person to be tried shall belong to the Land Forces, then the Proceedings of such Court shall be regulated, to all Intents and Purposes, as if the Court was composed of Officers of Her Majesty's Land Forces only, and the Provisions of this Act, and the Oaths hereby prescribed, shall be applicable to the Proceedings of such Court; but where the Person to be tried shall belong to Her Majesty's Royal Marines, then the Provisions of an Act passed in the present Session of Parliament, for the Regulation of Her Majesty's Royal Marine Forces while on shore, and the Oaths therein prescribed, shall be applicable; and where the Person to be tried shall be in the Service of the East India Company, the Provisions of an Act passed in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Years of Her present Majesty, to amend the Laws for punishing Mutiny and Deser tion of Officers and Soldiers in the Service of the East India Company, and the Oaths thereby prescribed, shall be applicable, notwithstanding any Officer, though in the actual Service of the said Company, may hold a Commission from Her Majesty or from His late Majesty King William the Fourth.

XIII. The President of every Court-martial shall be appointed President of by the Authority convening such Court, and shall in no Case be Court-martial. the Officer commanding in chief or Governor of the Garrison where the Offender shall be tried, nor Commander of the Regiment or Body of Troops composed of Detachments of different Regiments to which the Prisoner belongs; nor in the Case of a General Court-martial under the Degree of a Field Officer, unless a Field Officer cannot be had; nor in any Case whatever under the Degree of a Captain, save in the Case of a Detachment General Court-martial holden out of Her Majesty's Dominions, or of a Regimental or Detachment Court-martial holden

Proceedings at Trial.

Swearing and summoning Witnesses.

on the Line of March, or on board any Transport Ship, Convict Ship, Merchant Vessel, or Troop Ship not in Commission, or on any Foreign Station where a Captain cannot be had.

XIV. In all Trials by Court-martial, as soon as the President and other Officers appointed to serve thereon shall be assembled, their Names shall be read over in the Hearing of the Prisoner, who shall thereupon be asked if he objects to being tried by the President or by any of such Officers; and if the Prisoner shall then object to the President, such Objection shall be referred to the Decision of the Authority by whom such President shall have been appointed; but if he object to any Officer other than the President, such Objection shall be decided by the President and the other Officers so aforesaid appointed to form the Court; and when the Place of the President or other Officer in respect of whom any Challenge shall have been made and allowed shall be supplied by some Officer in respect of whom no Challenge shall have been made or allowed, or if no Challenge whatever shall have been made, or, if made, not allowed, the President and the other Officers composing a General Court-martial shall take the Oaths in the Schedule to this Act annexed before the Judge Advocate or his Deputy, or Person officiating as such, and on Trials by other Courts-martial before the President of such Court, who are hereby respectively authorized to administer the same, and any sworn Member may administer the Oath to the President; and as soon as the said Oaths shall have been administered to the respective Members, the President of the Court is hereby authorized and required to administer to the Judge Advocate, or the Person officiating as such, the Oath in the Schedule to this Act annexed; and no Proceeding or Trial shall be had upon any Offence but between the Hours of Eight of the Clock in the Morning and Four in the Afternoon, except in Cases which require an immediate Example, and except in the East Indies, where such Proceedings or Trial may be had between the Hours of Six in the Morning and Four in the Afternoon.

XV. All General and other Courts-martial shall have Power and Authority, and are hereby required, to administer an Oath to every Witness or other Person who shall be examined before such Court in any Matter relating to any Proceeding before the same; and every Person, as well Civil as Military, who may be required to give or produce Evidence before a Courtmartial, shall, in the Case of General Courts-martial, be summoned by the Judge Advocate General or his Deputy, or the Person officiating as such, and in the Case of all other Courtsmartial, by the President of the Court; and all Persons so summoned and attending as Witnesses before any Court-martial shall, during their necessary Attendance in or on such Courts, and in going to and returning from the same, be privileged from Arrest, and shall, if unduly arrested, be discharged by the Court out of which the Writ or Process issued by which such Witness was arrested, or if such Court be not sitting, then by any Judge

of

of the Superior Courts of Westminster or Dublin, or of the Court of Session in Scotland, or of the Courts of Law in the East or West Indies, or elsewhere, according as the Case shall require, upon its being made to appear to such Court or Judge, by any Affidavit in a summary Way, that such Witness was arrested in going to or attending upon or returning from such Courtmartial; and all Witnesses so duly summoned as aforesaid who shall not attend on such Courts, or attending shall refuse to be sworn, or being sworn shall refuse to give Evidence or or not produce the Documents under their Power or Control required to be produced by them, or to answer all such Questions as the Court may legally demand of them, shall be liable to be attached in the Court of Queen's Bench in London or Dublin, or in the Court of Session, or Sheriff Depute or Stewarts Depute, or their respective Substitutes, within their several Shires and Stewartries, in Scotland, or in Courts of Law in the East or West Indies, or in any of Her Majesty's Colonies, Garrisons, or Dominions in Europe or elsewhere respectively, upon Complaint made, in like Manner as if such Witness, after having been duly summoned or subpoenaed, had neglected to attend upon a Trial in any Proceeding in the Court in which such Complaint shall be made.

put in Evi

XVI. After a Prisoner has been found guilty of any Charge Previous Conor Charges, the Court before which any such Prisoner shall victions to be have been tried may, before passing Sentence on such Prisoner, dence. and for the Purpose only of affixing Punishment, receive in Evidence against him any previous Convictions by Courts-martial, and in like Manner and for the like Purpose the Court shall receive in Evidence any previous Conviction of such Prisoner by a Court of ordinary Criminal Jurisdiction, where the Offence charged in the Indictment was of a felonious, fraudulent, or unnatural Nature; and in the Case of Convictions by Courtsmartial a Certificate, which shall purport to contain a Copy of the Charges, Finding, and Sentence of the Court, and of the Minute of the Infliction or Remission of all or any Part of such Sentence, made from the original Minutes of such Court, or from the Court-martial Book, and which shall further purport to be signed by the Judge Advocate General or by his Deputy, or by the Officer officiating as such, or by the Officer confirming the Proceedings, or by any competent Staff Officer, in case such Copy be taken from the original Minutes, or by the Commanding Officer, Adjutant, or other Officer having the Custody of the Court-martial Book, in case such Copy be taken from the said Book, shall be sufficient Evidence of such Conviction; and it shall not be necessary to prove the Signature or official Character of the Person appearing to have signed such Certificate, nor, if the Court be satisfied from all the Circumstances of the Case that the Prisoner under Trial is the Person mentioned in any such Certificate, shall it be necessary to give other Proofs of the Identity of the Person of the Offender; and in the Case of a Conviction by a Court of ordinary Criminal Jurisdiction,

Report of Proceedings of General and

District Courts

martial.

No Second

vision allowed.

any Certificate transmitted as herein-before provided to the Officer commanding a Regiment by the Clerk of any such Court, or other Officer having Custody of the Records of such Court, or the Deputy of such Clerk, containing the Substance and Effect of any Indictment, omitting the formal Part, together with the Judgment of the Court thereon, and purporting to be signed by such Clerk or other Officer, or by the Deputy of such Clerk, shall be sufficient Evidence of such last-mentioned Conviction; and it shall not be necessary to prove the Signature or official Character of the Person appearing to have signed such last-mentioned Certificate, nor, if the Court be satisfied from all the Circumstances of the Case that the Prisoner under Trial is the Person mentioned in such Certificate, shall it be necessary to give other Proofs of the Identity of the Person of the Offender: Provided always, that before any such Evidence shall be received it shall be proved to the Satisfaction of the Court that the said Prisoner had previously to his Trial received Notice of the Intention to produce such Evidence against him: Provided also, that the Court shall in no Case award to him any other Punishment or Punishments than may by this Act and by the Articles of War be awarded for the Offence of which he shall have been so found guilty.

XVII. Every Judge Advocate, or Person officiating as such at a General Court-martial, and the President of every District or Garrison Court-martial, where the Offender shall be a Noncommissioned Officer or Soldier belonging to Her Majesty's Land Forces, are required to transmit, with as much Expedition as the Opportunity of Time and Distance of Place can admit, the original Proceedings and Sentence thereof to the Judge Advocate General in London, in whose Office they shall be carefully preserved; and any Person tried by a General Court-martial, or any Person on his Behalf, shall be entitled, on Demand, to a Copy of such Sentence and Proceedings (paying reasonably for the same), whether such Sentence shall be approved or not, at any Time not sooner than Six Months if the Trial took place at Gibraltar or in the Mediterranean, Three Months if at any other Station within Europe, and Twelve Months if elsewhere in Her Majesty's Dominions; provided that such Demand as aforesaid shall have been made within the Space of Three Years from the Date of the Approval or other final Decision upon the Proceedings before such General Court-martial.

XVIII. No Officer or Soldier, being acquitted or convicted Trial, but Re- of any Offence, shall be liable to be tried a Second Time by the same or any other Court-martial for the same Offence; and no Finding, Opinion, or Sentence given by any Court-martial, and signed by the President thereof, shall be revised more than once, nor shall any additional Evidence be received by the Court on any Revision.

Crimes punish

XIX. If any Person subject to this Act shall at any Time able with Death. during the Continuance of this Act begin, excite, cause, or join in any Mutiny or Sedition in Her Majesty's Land or Marine Forces,