Defence Act, 1954

Confirming authorities.

216.—(1) Each of the following authorities shall have power to confirm the findings and sentences of courts-martial—

(a) in the case of a general court-martial, any officer (holding the army rank of colonel or the naval rank of captain or higher commissioned rank) authorised by warrant of the Minister to confirm the findings and sentences of general courts-martial,

(b) in the case of a limited court-martial,

(i) any officer authorised by warrant of the Minister to confirm the findings and sentences of limited courts-martial,

(ii) any officer for the time being authorised to convene a limited court-martial.

(2) A warrant under this section may be made subject to such restrictions, reservations, exceptions and conditions as the Minister thinks fit.

(3) A warrant under this section may be addressed to an officer by name or by designation of his office or partly in one way and partly in another and may or may not, according to the terms thereof and the mode in which it is addressed, be limited to an officer named or be extended to a person for the time being performing the duties of the office named or be extended to the successors in office of an officer.

(4) An officer who was a member of a court-martial shall not have power to confirm the finding or the sentence of such court-martial.

(5) In this Act, the expression “confirming authority” when used in relation to a general court-martial or a limited court-martial, means a person authorised by virtue of this section to confirm the finding and sentence of such court-martial.