The Mutiny Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict c 10) was an Act of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

, and one of a succession of such

Mutiny Acts The Mutiny Acts were an almost 200-year series of annual Acts passed by the Parliament of England, the Parliament of Great Britain, and the Parliament of the United Kingdom for governing, regulating, provisioning, and funding the English and late ...

. The preamble to the Act stated that it was necessary to provide "a more speedy punishment than the usual forms often allow" to soldiers who

mutinied Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military, of a crew or of a crew of pirates) to oppose, change, or overthrow an organization to which they were previously loyal. The term is commonly used for a rebellion among members ...

or stirred up

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, estab ...

, who deserted, or who were "guilty of crimes and offences to the prejudice of good order and military discipline". It extended to the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

, and encompassed colonial and foreign troops in British service, though the militia, volunteer and reserve forces were exempt except under special circumstances. The Act provided for the forms and functions of

courts-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

, and defined which crimes were punishable by

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

, penal servitude, or corporal punishment. Those acquitted by a civil court were not to be tried again for the same offence by a court-martial. It provided full regulations for military prisons and the custody of prisoners. Rules were provided for the apprehension of deserters within the UK, and for their temporary custody in gaols. Recruits who deserted before joining their regiment forfeited their bounty, and could be transferred to the nearest regiment, corps or depot.s. 36

Notes

References

*''The companion to the British almanac, for the year 1874'', p. 224-5. London, 1875. *''Chronological table of the statutes''; HMSO, London. 1993. {{UK legislation United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1873 1873 in military history United Kingdom military law Mutinies