{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/courts-martial-royal-navy-rules-1997/article-31",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/courts-martial-royal-navy-rules-1997/article-31.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1997/170",
  "legislation_title": "The Courts-Martial (Royal Navy) Rules 1997",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/courts-martial-royal-navy-rules-1997",
  "path": "article/31",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "31",
  "heading": "Challenges by the accused",
  "text": "(1) This rule applies subject to rule 26 above.\n(2) On assembly of the full court—\n(a) the order assembling the court-martial (including the name of any officer therein);\n(b) the name of the judge-advocate; and\n(c) the names of the clerk of the court and any interpreter\nshall be read to the accused.\n(3) The accused may state the name of any person to whom he objects.\n(4) If more than one person is objected to, the objection to each shall be disposed of separately in the following order—\n(a) the judge advocate;\n(b) the president;\n(c) the other members of the court in reverse order of seniority;\n(d) any spare member;\n(e) the clerk of the court;\n(f) any interpreter.\n(5) The accused may make a statement and call any person to make a statement in support of his objection.\n(6) A person other than the judge advocate to whom the accused has objected may state in open court anything relevant to the accused’s objection whether in support or in rebuttal thereof.\n(7) Each objection shall be considered by the judge advocate and his determination announced in open court.\n(8) If an objection to the president is allowed, the judge advocate shall announce that the court is dissolved.\n(9) If an objection to the clerk of the court or interpreter is allowed, the judge advocate shall adjourn proceedings until the court administration officer has appointed a replacement.\n(10) Where a court is assembled to try two or more accused separately and one accused objects to the president or to any other member of the court, the judge advocate may, if he thinks fit, adjourn the trial of that accused and proceed with the trial of the other accused only.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "am",
      "affecting": "uksi/2002/231",
      "affecting_title": "The Courts-Martial (Royal Navy) (Amendment) Rules 2002"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/170/article/31",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T12:27:05.922918+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "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."
}