{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006/section-242",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006/section-242.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/52",
  "legislation_title": "Armed Forces Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006",
  "path": "section/242",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "242",
  "heading": "Service detention: general restriction",
  "text": "(1) A court may not pass a sentence of service detention in respect of an offence unless it is of the opinion that the offence, or the combination of the offence and one or more offences associated with it, was serious enough to warrant such a sentence.\n(2) In forming any such opinion as is mentioned in subsection (1) or section 243(2) (length of sentence), a court must take into account all such information as is available to it about the circumstances of the offence and any associated offence, including any aggravating or mitigating factors.\n(3) In subsections (1) and (2) “court” does not include the Summary Appeal Court.\n(4) A sentence of service detention may not be—\n(a) passed by an officer at a summary hearing, or\n(b) passed or confirmed by the Summary Appeal Court,\nunless the officer or court is of the opinion that the offence it is in respect of (or, if it is in respect of two or more offences, the combination of them) was serious enough to warrant such a sentence.\n(5) In forming any such opinion as is mentioned in subsection (4) or section 243(3) (length of sentence), an officer or the Summary Appeal Court must take into account all such information as is available to him or it about the circumstances of the offence (or offences), including any aggravating or mitigating factors.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 242 applied (31.10.2009) by The Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/2041), art. 1, rule 161(9)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 242 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. 242 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/242",
    "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."
  }
}