93. Power of court-martial and commanding officers to try offences.—(1) An offence triable
under this Act may be tried and punished by court-martial.
(2) An offence not capital which is triable under this Act and which is committed by a person other
than an officer (and in cases by this Act expressly provided for when committed by an officer), may,
subject to regulations made under this Act be summarily tried and punished by the commanding officer of
the ship to which the offender belongs at the time either of the commission or of the trial of the offence,
subject to the restriction that the commanding officer shall not have power to award imprisonment or
detention for more than three months, or to award dismissal with disgrace from the naval service:
Provided that no sentence of imprisonment or dismissal shall be carried into effect until approved by
the prescribed authorities.
(3) The power by this section vested in a commanding officer of a ship may, subject to regulations
made under this Act,—
(a) as respects 1
[sailors] on board a tender to the ship, be exercised in the case of a single tender
absent from the ship, by the officer in command of such tender and in the case of two or more tenders
absent from the ship in company or acting together, by the officer in immediate command of such
tenders;
(b) as respects 1
[sailors] on board any boat belonging to the ship, be exercised when such boat is
absent on detached service by the officer in command of the boat;
(c) as respects 1
[sailors] on detached service either on shore or otherwise, be exercised by the
officer in immediate command of those persons;
(d) as respects 1
[sailors] quartered in naval barracks, be exercised by the officer in command
of the barracks;
(e) as respects 1
[sailors] attached to or serving with any body of the regular Army or the Air Force
under prescribed conditions be exercised by the commanding officer of any such body of the regular
Army or the Air Force.
(4) The commanding officer of a ship or barracks may delegate the power of awarding
punishments inferior in scale to dismissal, to other officers under his command in accordance with the
regulations made under this Act.
94. Power of Central Government, Chief of the Naval Staff and other officers to impose
forfeiture of time or seniority.—2
[(1) The Central Government may impose on any officer below the
rank of commander one or more of the following punishments, namely:—
(a) forfeiture of seniority in rank of not more than twelve months;
(b) forfeiture of time for promotion of not more than twelve months;
(c) mulcts of pay and allowances.
(2) The Chief of the Naval Staff may impose on 3
[any officer below the rank of commander] one or
more of the following punishments, namely:—
(a) forfeiture of seniority in rank of not more than six months;
1. Subs. by Act 53 of 1974, s. 2, for “seaman” (w.e.f. 16-12-1974).
2. Subs. by Act 23 of 2005, s. 4, for sub-sections (1), (2), (2A), and (3) (w.e.f. 23-6-2005).
3. Subs. by Act 48 of 1982, s. 5, for “any subordinate officer” (w.e.f. 16-10-1982).
33
(b) forfeiture of time for promotion of not more than six months;
(c) mulcts of pay and allowances.
(2A) The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of a naval command may, subject to regulations made
under this Act, impose on any officer below the rank of commander one or more of the following
punishments, namely:—
(a) forfeiture of seniority in rank of not more than three months;
(b) forfeiture of time for promotion of not more than three months;
(c) severe reprimand or reprimand;
(d) mulcts of pay and allowances.
(3) The commanding officer of a ship may. subject to regulations made under this Act, may impose
on any officer below the rank of commander one or more of the following punishments, namely:—
(a) forfeiture of seniority in rank of not more than three months;
(b) forfeiture of time for promotion of not more than three months;
(c) mulcts of pay and allowances.]
(4) In imposing punishments under sub-sections (1)
1
[(2) and (2A)], it shall not be necessary for the
Central Government or the Chief of the Naval Staff, as the case may be, to hear the accused in person or
by any friend or counsel.
2
[(5) The commanding officer of a 3
[ship] or the officer-in-charge of a naval academy may impose on
any subordinate officer whilst under training such minor punishments, not higher than the punishment of
severe reprimand or reprimand, as may, from time to time, be prescribed.]
(1) The Central Government may impose the punishment of forfeiture of time or seniority of not
more than twelve months on any officer below the rank of commander.
(2) The Chief of the Naval Staff may impose the punishment of forfeiture of time or seniority of
not more than six months on any officer below the rank of commander.
(2A) The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of a naval command may, subject to regulations
made under this Act, impose on any officer below the rank of commander one or more of the
following punishments, namely:—
(a) forfeiture of seniority in rank of not more than three months;
(b) forfeiture of time for promotion of not more than three months;
(c) severe reprimand or reprimand.
(3) The commanding officer of a ship may subject to regulations made under this Act, impose the
punishment of forfeiture of time or seniority of not more than three months on any subordinate
officer.
95. Disciplinary Courts when may be constituted.—When an officer is, in time of war or during
active service, alleged to have been guilty of a disciplinary offence, that is to say of a breach of sections
41, 47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 68 and 74 or of any of those sections read with section 75 or 76, the officer having
the power to order a court-martial may, if he considers the offence to be of such a character as not to
necessitate trial by court-martial, in lieu of ordering a court-martial, order a disciplinary court constituted
as hereinafter mentioned.
96. Constitution and procedure of disciplinary courts.—(1) A disciplinary court shall be
composed of not less than three nor more than five officers:
1. Subs. Act, 48 of 1982, s. 5, for “and (2)” (w.e.f. 16-10-1982).
2. Ins. by Act 53 of 1970, s. 16 (w.e.f. 16-12-1974).
3. Subs. by s. 5, ibid., for “training ship” (w.e.f. 16-10-1982).
34
Provided that the majority of the officers including the president shall be officers of the executive
branch of the naval service.
(2) At least one of these officers composing the court shall be superior in rank to the officer under
trial and in any case shall be of the rank of substantive or acting commander or of a higher rank.
(3) A disciplinary court shall have power to impose any punishment inferior to detention in the scale
hereinbefore contained, but no greater punishment.
(4) The officers composing the disciplinary court shall be named by the authority ordering the same
or by an officer empowered in this behalf by such authority.
(5) Subject to the provisions of the foregoing sub-sections, the procedure and practice of courtsmartial provided by or under this Act shall apply to the procedure and practice of disciplinary courts
subject to such modifications as may be prescribed.
97. Constitution of courts-martial.—(1) Courts-martial shall be constituted and convened subject to
the provisions of the following sub-sections.
(2) The President, the Chief of the Naval Staff, or any officer empowered in this behalf by
commission from the Chief of the Naval Staff shall have the power to order courts-martial for the trial of
offences under this Act.
(3) Unless otherwise prescribed in respect of any specified port or station, an officer holding a
commission from the Chief of the Naval Staff to order courts-martial shall not be empowered to do so if
there is present at the place where such court-martial is to be held an officer superior in rank to himself
and in command of one or more of the ships of the Indian Navy although such last mentioned officer may
not hold a commission to order courts-martial and in such a case such last mentioned officer may order a
court-martial although he does not hold a commission for the purpose.
(4) If an officer holding a commission from the Chief of the Naval Staff to order courts-martial,
having the command of a fleet or squadron and being outside Indian waters die, be recalled, leave his
station or be removed from his command, the officer upon whom the command of the fleet or squadron
devolves and so from time to time the officer who shall have the command of the fleet or squadron, shall
without any commission from the Chief of the Naval Staff have the same power to order courts-martial as
the first mentioned officer was invested with.
(5) If an officer holding a commission from the Chief of the Naval Staff to order courts-martial and
having the command of any fleet or squadron of the Indian Navy outside Indian waters shall detach any
part of such fleet or squadron, or separate himself from any part of such fleet or squadron he may by
commission under his hand empower in the first mentioned case, the commanding officer of the squadron
or detachment ordered on such separate service and in the case of his death or ceasing so to command, the
officer to whom the command of such separate squadron or detachment shall belong, and in the second
mentioned case, the senior officer of the ships of the Indian Navy on the division of the station from
which he is absent, to order courts-martial during the time of such separate service or during his absence
from that division of the station as the case may be, and every such authority shall continue in force until
revoked or until the officer holding it returns to India or until he comes into the presence of a superior
officer empowered to order courts-martial in the same squadron, detachment or division of station but so
that such authority shall revive on the officer holding it ceasing to be in the presence of such a superior
officer and so from time to time as often as the case so requires.
(6) A court-martial shall consist of not less than five nor more than nine officers.
(7) No officer shall be qualified to sit as a member of a court-martial unless—
(a) he is subject to naval law,
(b) he is an officer of the Indian Navy of the rank of lieutenant or higher rank, and
(c) he is of or over twenty-one years of age.
(8) A prosecutor shall not be qualified to sit on the court-martial for the trial of the person
he prosecutes.
35
(9) The officer ordering the court-martial, the officer who was the commanding officer of the ship to
which the accused belonged at the time of the commission of the alleged offence and the officer
investigating the offence shall not be qualified to sit on a court- martial for the trial of such accused.
(10) Subject to the provisions of sub-sections (7) to (9), officers of the Indian Navy shall be eligible to
sit as members of a court-martial irrespective of the branch of the naval service to which they belong:
Provided that—
(a) the majority of the members of the court-martial, including the president, shall be officers of
the executive branch of the naval service, and
(b) at trials for offences against sections 34, 35, 55, 1
[55A, 55C] and 56, officers other than
officers of the executive branch of the naval service shall not be eligible to sit.
(11) A court-martial shall not be deemed to be duly constituted unless the members thereof are drawn
from at least two ships not being tenders, and commanded by officers of the rank of lieutenant or
higher rank.
(12) The president of a court-martial shall be named by the authority ordering the same or by any
officer empowered by such authority to name the president.
(13) No court-martial for the trial of a flag officer shall be duly constituted unless the president is a
flag officer and the other officers composing the court are of the rank of captain or of higher rank.
(14) No court-martial for the trial of a captain shall be duly constituted unless the president is a
captain or of higher rank and
(15) No court-martial for the trial of a commander shall be duly constituted unless the president is a
commander or of higher rank and two other members are commanders or officers of higher rank.
(16) No court-martial for the trial of a person below the rank of commander shall be duly constituted
unless the president is a substantive or acting commander or of higher rank.
(17) No commander or lieutenant-commander or lieutenant shall be required to sit as a member of a
court-martial when four officers of higher rank and junior to the president can be assembled at the place
where the court-martial is to be held, but the regularity or validity of any court-martial or of the
proceedings thereof shall not be affected by any commander, lieutenant-commander or lieutenant being
required to sit or sitting thereon under any circumstances and when any commander, lieutenantcommander or lieutenant sits on any court- martial, the members of it shall not exceed five.
(18) Members of the court-martial other than the president shall be appointed, subject to the
provisions of the foregoing sub-sections, in the manner provided in sub-section (19).
(19) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (11), the president shall summon all officers except such
as are exempted under the provisions of sub-section (20), next in seniority to himself present at the place
where the court-martial shall be held, to sit thereon until the number of nine or such other number not less
than five as is attainable is complete.
(20) The officer convening the court-martial or the senior naval officer present at the place where the
court-martial is to be held, may exempt by writing under his hand conveyed to the president of the courtmartial any officer from attending as member on ground of sickness or urgent public duty.
(21) In this section references to specified ranks of officers shall, unless otherwise stated, be deemed
to be references to substantive ranks and to include references to equiva lent ranks in all branches of the
naval service.
(22) When the naval forces are on active service, officers of the Indian Naval Reserve Forces subject
to naval law shall be eligible to sit as members of courts-martial on the same basis and under the same
conditions as officers of the Indian Navy.