The purpose of the Bill is to continue in force the legislation governing the Armed Forces, and it would make provision for other defence matters. There is an Armed Forces Bill every 5 years. This requirement dates from the Bill of Rights 1688, which says that the keeping of an Army in time of peace shall be an offence ‘unless it be with the consent of Parliament’. The Armed Forces Act 2006 transformed the legislation governing the Armed Forces by introducing a single system of Service law that applies to all service personnel. The 2006 Act provides a comprehensive system of discipline, covering such matters as offences, the powers of the service police, the jurisdiction and powers of commanding officers and of service courts, in particular the court martial. It is the basis of the service justice system and it applies to all service personnel wherever in the world they are operating. This Armed Forces Bill would renew the Armed Forces Act 2006, as did the Armed Forces Act 2011. The main benefits of the Bill would be:
to provide the legal basis for recruitment and discipline of our Armed Forces and is therefore essential
maintain the effectiveness of the Service Justice System so that it continues to serve the needs of the Armed Forces
The main elements of the Bill are:
to continue in force the Armed Forces Act 2006 that otherwise will expire in November 2016
the simplification of some complex processes around the way service personnel are charged for offences
Find out more in the full background briefing notes.