{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006/section-253",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006/section-253.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/52",
  "legislation_title": "Armed Forces Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/armed-forces-act-2006",
  "path": "section/253",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "253",
  "heading": "Duties in complying with section 252",
  "text": "(1) In complying with section 252(1)(a) an officer or the Summary Appeal Court must—\n(a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(b) if section 239 (guilty pleas) applies and as a result of taking into account a matter mentioned in section 239(2) the officer or court has imposed a punishment on the offender which is less severe than the punishment that would otherwise have been imposed, state that fact;\n(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) In complying with section 252(1)(a) a court other than the Summary Appeal Court must—\n(a) where guidelines indicate that a sentence of a particular kind, or within a particular range, would normally be appropriate for the offence and the sentence is of a different kind or is outside that range, state the court's reasons for deciding on a sentence of a different kind or outside that range;\n(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(c) if section 239 (guilty pleas) applies and as a result of taking into account a matter mentioned in section 239(2) the court has imposed a punishment on the offender which is less severe than the punishment it would otherwise have imposed, state that fact;\n(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(h) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) In this section “guidelines” has the same meaning as in section 259.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 253(1)(a) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(b), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 253(1)(c)(d) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(b), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 253(2)(b) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(b), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 253(2)(d)-(h) omitted (3.12.2012) by virtue of Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (c. 10), ss. 64(4)(b), 151(1); S.I. 2012/2906, art. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 253(2) applied (31.10.2009) by The Armed Forces (Court Martial) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/2041), art. 1, rule 123"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 253(2) applied (13.11.2023) by S.I. 2009/1211, rule 88H (as inserted by The Armed Forces (Amendment of Court Rules) Rules 2023 (S.I. 2023/1097), rules 1(2), 13)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 253(2) applied (13.11.2023) by S.I. 2009/1209, rule 99E (as inserted by The Armed Forces (Amendment of Court Rules) Rules 2023 (S.I. 2023/1097), rules 1(2), 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 253(2) applied (16.10.2024) by S.I. 2009/2041, reg. 117F (as inserted by The Armed Forces (Court Martial) (Amendment) Rules 2024 (S.I. 2024/1036), rules 1(2), 14)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 253 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. 253 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/253",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T17:06:14.237699+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."
  }
}