The provisions of the English Army Act, are to be applied ‘in diverse circumstances wherever the armed forces of the Crown happen to be, in developed or undeveloped countries, as conquerors or guests, and their purpose is . . Disciplinary.’ Criminal law applies only in respect of acts committed or omissions made within England. Viscount Simons said: ‘apart from those exceptional cases in which specific provision is made in regard to acts committed abroad, the whole body of the criminal law of England deals only with acts committed in England.’ and ‘with rare exceptions the whole body of our criminal law is ‘domestic’ in the sense that it is made for the order and good government of this country and is applicable only to acts done on English soil.’
Judges:
Viscount Simonds, Lord Reid
Citations:
[1963] AC 48, (1962) 46 Cr App R 258
Cited by:
Cited – Purdy, Regina (on the Application of) v Director of Public Prosecutions HL 30-Jul-2009
Need for Certainty in Scope of Offence
The appellant suffered a severe chronic illness and anticipated that she might want to go to Switzerland to commit suicide. She would need her husband to accompany her, and sought an order requiring the respondent to provide clear guidelines on the . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Crime, Armed Forces, Commonwealth
Updated: 20 May 2022; Ref: scu.373404