{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/naval-courts-martial-general-orders-royal-navy-1991/article-9",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/naval-courts-martial-general-orders-royal-navy-1991/article-9.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/9",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "9",
  "heading": "The Charge",
  "text": "–\n(1) Each charge shall state one offence only.\n(2) Offences may be charged in the alternative in separate charges but shall not be charged in the alternative in the same charge. When charges are laid in the alternative they shall be set out in order of gravity commencing with the most serious.\n(3) The charge shall state:\n(a) such circumstances respecting the alleged offence as will enable the accused to know every act or omission which it is sought to prove against him as constituting the offence charged;\n(b) when the offence charged is one which can be committed either in circumstances involving a higher degree of punishment or in circumstances involving a lesser degree of punishment, facts which it is intended to prove as rendering the accused liable to the higher degree of punishment if convicted.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1991/2737/article/9",
    "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."
}