§ 52B.—(1) An allegation that a person subject to this Act ("the accused") has committed an offence against any provision of this Act shall be reported, in the form of a charge, to his commanding officer.
§ (2) A commanding officer shall investigate a charge reported to him under subsection (1) above.
§ (3) If, in the course of investigating a charge, the commanding officer considers it appropriate to do so, he may amend the charge or substitute another charge for it and treat the amended or substituted charge as if that charge had been reported to him under subsection (1) above.
§ (4) If, in the course of investigating a charge, it appears to the commanding officer that proceedings in respect of the matters to which the charge relates could be, and in the interests of the better administration of justice should be, taken against the accused otherwise than under this Act he may stay further proceedings with respect to the charge.
§ (5) After investigating a charge, the commanding officer may, subject to subsection (6) below—
- (a) dismiss the charge;
- (b) refer the charge to higher authority; or
- (c) try the accused summarily.
§ (6) The commanding officer may not try summarily—
- (a) any charge against an officer; or
- (b) any charge which is not capable of being tried summarily.
§ (7) For the purposes of this Act, a charge is capable of being tried summarily if it is for an offence triable by court-martial under this Act, other than an offence punishable by sentence of death or an offence of murder.