{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/reserve-forces-act-1996/section-98",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/reserve-forces-act-1996/section-98.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1996/14",
  "legislation_title": "Reserve Forces Act 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/reserve-forces-act-1996",
  "path": "section/98",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "98",
  "heading": "Punishment etc. of offences of desertion or absence without leave.",
  "text": "(1) An offence under section 8 or 9 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 (offences under service law of desertion or absence without leave) committed by a member of a reserve force is triable summarily by a civil court (as well as being triable by the Court Martial).\n(2) A member of a reserve force convicted by the Court Martial of an offence under section 96(1) or 97(1) is punishable as for an offence under section 8 or 9 (as the case may be) of the Armed Forces Act 2006.\n(3) A member of a reserve force convicted by a civil court of—\n(a) an offence under section 96(1) or 97(1), or\n(b) an offence under section 8 or 9 of the Armed Forces Act 2006,\nis liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (or both).\n(4) A person convicted of an offence under section 97(2) is liable—\n(a) if convicted by the Court Martial, to the same punishment as for an offence under section 9 of the Armed Forces Act 2006;\n(b) if convicted by a civil court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (or both).\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) Where a member of a reserve force or a person liable to recall is convicted of an offence of desertion, the time which elapsed between the time of his desertion and the time of his apprehension or voluntary surrender shall not be taken into account in reckoning his service for the purpose of release from permanent service or discharge.\n(7) Orders or regulations under section 4 may include provision for enabling a determination to be made in prescribed circumstances that subsection (6) is to cease to have effect in relation to a period of time or a part of a period of time.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 98(1) substituted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(2)(a); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 98(1) substituted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(2)(b); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 98(2) substituted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(3)(a); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 98(2) substituted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(3)(b); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 98(3)(b) substituted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(4); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 98(4)(a) substituted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(5)(a); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 98(4)(a) substituted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(5)(b); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 98(5) repealed (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(6), Sch. 17; S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 98(7) inserted (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 14 para. 42(7); S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 98(1) modified (24.4.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by The Armed Forces Act 2006 (Transitional Provisions etc) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1059), arts. 1(3), 201(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 98(3) modified (24.4.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by The Armed Forces Act 2006 (Transitional Provisions etc) Order 2009 (S.I. 2009/1059), arts. 1(3), 201(3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/14/section/98",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:32:19.577483+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."
}