{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006/section-221",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006/section-221.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/52",
  "legislation_title": "Armed Forces Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006",
  "path": "section/221",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "221",
  "heading": "Life sentence for certain dangerous offenders aged under 18",
  "text": "(1) This section applies where —\n(a) a person aged under 18 is convicted by the Court Martial of an offence under section 42 (criminal conduct) which was committed on or after 4 April 2005,\n(b) the corresponding offence under the law of England and Wales is a Schedule 19 offence within the meaning of Part 10 of the Sentencing Code (see section 307 of that Code),\n(ba) the court considers that the seriousness of—\n(i) the offence under section 42, or\n(ii) that offence and one or more offences associated with it,\nis such as to justify the imposition of a sentence of detention for life, and\n(c) the court is of the required opinion (defined by section 223).\n(2) Section 258(2) of the Sentencing Code (duty to impose detention for life) applies in relation to the offender.\n(3) In section 258(2) of the Sentencing Code (as applied by subsection (2)), the reference to section 250 of that Code is to be read as a reference to section 209 of this Act.\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) A sentence under section 258(2) of the Sentencing Code passed as a result of this section is not to be regarded as a sentence fixed by law.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 221(1) substituted (31.10.2009) by Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4), s. 153(7), Sch. 25 para. 15(2); S.I. 2009/1028, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 221(1)(a) inserted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 25 para. 41(2)(a) (with s. 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 221(1)(b) substituted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 25 para. 41(2)(b) (with s. 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 221(1)(ba) inserted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 25 para. 41(2)(c) (with s. 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 221(2) substituted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 22 para. 7; S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(t) (with art. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 221(2) substituted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 25 para. 41(3) (with s. 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "S. 221(3) substituted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 25 para. 41(4) (with s. 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 221(4) repealed (31.10.2009) by Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (c. 4), s. 153(7), Sch. 25 para. 15(5), Sch. 28 Pt. 2; S.I. 2009/1028, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 221(5) omitted (1.12.2020) by virtue of Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 25 para. 41(5) (with s. 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in s. 221(6) substituted (1.12.2020) by Sentencing Act 2020 (c. 17), s. 416(1), Sch. 25 para. 41(6) (with s. 416(7), Sch. 27); S.I. 2020/1236, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in s. 221 heading substituted (3.12.2012) by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), s. 151(1), Sch. 22 para. 8; S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(t) (with art. 6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 221 in force at 28.3.2009 for specified purposes by S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 221 in force at 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/52/section/221",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:13:24.063324+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}