{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/naval-courts-martial-general-orders-royal-navy-1991/article-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/naval-courts-martial-general-orders-royal-navy-1991/article-2.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1991/2737",
  "legislation_title": "The Naval Courts-Martial General Orders (Royal Navy) 1991",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/naval-courts-martial-general-orders-royal-navy-1991",
  "path": "article/2",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Interpretation",
  "text": "In these General Orders any reference to an Order is, except where the context otherwise requires, a reference to a General Order contained therein and the following expressions have the meanings respectively assigned to them–\n“accused’s friend” has the meaning given by Order 14;\n“the Act” means the Naval Discipline Act 1957;\n“child” means a person under the age of 14 years;\n“circumstantial letter” means letter outlining the prosecution case drafted underOrder 4;\n“civilian counsel” has the meaning given by Order 72;\n“closed court” means proceedings of the court conducted for the time being in the presence only of the president, members of the court, judge advocate and clerk of the court;\n“commanding officer” means the commanding officer of the ship or establishment in which the accused is for the time being serving;\n“convening authority” means an officer authorised to order a court-martial in accordance with the provisions of section 53 of the Act or, where a court-martial is ordered by the Defence Council, the Defence Council;\n“court” means a court-martial ordered under the Act;\n“member” when used in relation to a court-martial does not include the president;\n“open court” means proceedings of the court conducted in the presence of all parties and any members of the public present;\n“special finding” means when used in relation to–\n(a) section 67 or 68 of the Act, any finding which a court-martial may make in accordance with that section;\n(b) a finding in accordance with section 63 of the Act, that the accused is not guilty by reason of insanity;\n“young person” means a person who has attained the age of 14 years and is under the age of 17 years.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Section 53 was amended by S.I. 1964/488, article 2(1) and Schedule 1, Part I and by the Armed Forces Act 1971 (c. 33), section 48(3)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "Section 63 was amended by S.I. 1964/488, article 2(1) and Schedule 1, Part I and by the Criminal Procedure (Insanity) Act 1964 (c. 84), sections 7 and 8, Schedule 2, Part II."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1991/2737/article/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T14:33:13.386859+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."
}