
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Armed Forces (Service Supervision and Punishment Orders) Regulations 2023.
(2) These Regulations come into force one hour after being laid.
(3) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the British overseas territories (except Gibraltar).
2 
In these Regulations—
 “the Act” means the Armed Forces Act 2006;
 “extra duties” means work, training or any other duty performed by an offender at times when they would not otherwise be required to perform any duty;
 “the initial period”—
(a) in relation to an SSPO in which the period specified under section 173(1) of the Act is thirty days, means the period of fourteen days beginning with the day the SSPO is made;
(b) in relation to an SSPO in which the period specified under section 173(1) of the Act is sixty days, means the period of eighteen days beginning with the day the SSPO is made;
(c) in relation to an SSPO in which the period specified under section 173(1) of the Act is ninety days, means the period of twenty-one days beginning with the day the SSPO is made;
 “relevant place” means—
(a) a naval ship or establishment;
(b) a military establishment;
(c) an air force station;
 “the secondary period” means the remainder of the duration of an SSPO after the initial period;
 “SSPO” means a service supervision and punishment order.
3 
An SSPO must require the offender who is subject to it not to use any entitlement to leave without the permission of their commanding officer, and may impose on the offender one or more of the following further requirements—
(a) to perform extra duties as decided under regulation 6(1)—
(i) during the initial period, for up to five and a half hours each day;
(ii) during the secondary period, for up to one hour each day;
(b) not to leave a relevant place without the permission of their commanding officer;
(c) subject to such conditions as may be specified in the SSPO, not to enter specified places in a relevant place without the permission of their commanding officer.
4 

(1) Subject to regulation 3(a), where an SSPO imposes a requirement under that paragraph, the offender’s commanding officer must decide, in respect of each day during which the SSPO is in force, what extra duties the offender must perform pursuant to that requirement, for how long, and when, and must inform the offender accordingly.
(2) The offender’s commanding officer may delegate any of their functions of granting permission under regulation 3 to an officer of or above the rank of naval lieutenant, military or marine captain or flight lieutenant.
(3) The offender’s commanding officer may delegate their functions under paragraph (1) to a person of or above the rank or rate of chief petty officer, marine colour sergeant, military staff sergeant or flight sergeant.
5 
The offender’s commanding officer must consider whether an SSPO should continue in force—
(a) on or before the last day of the initial period;
(b) at intervals of not more than 14 days beginning on the day after the last consideration under paragraph (a) or under this paragraph.
6 
The Armed Forces (Service Supervision and Punishment Orders) Regulations 2009 are revoked.
On behalf of the Defence Council
Annabel Goldie
David Williams
Members of the Defence Council
Ministry of Defence
25th July 2023