Defence Act, 1954

Convening of courts-martial.

187.—(1) Each of the following persons shall have power to convene a general court-martial, that is to say:—

(a) the Minister,

(b) any officer (holding the army rank of colonel or the naval rank of captain or higher commissioned rank) authorised in that behalf by warrant of the Minister.

(2) Each of the following persons shall have power to convene a limited court-martial, that is to say:—

(a) an officer who has power to convene a general court-martial,

(b) any officer authorised in that behalf by warrant of an officer who has power to convene a general court-martial.

(3) A warrant under this section may be made subject to such restrictions, reservations, exceptions and conditions as, if the warrant is made under subsection (1) of this section, the Minister or, if the warrant is made under subsection (2) of this section, the officer making it thinks fit.

(4) 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.

(5) In this Act, the expression “the convening authority” when used in relation to a court-martial means the person by whom such court-martial is convened.