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National Defence Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. N-5)

Full Document:  

Act current to 2024-02-20 and last amended on 2022-06-20. Previous Versions

PART IIICode of Service Discipline (continued)

DIVISION 2Service Offences and Punishments (continued)

Disgraceful Conduct (continued)

Marginal note:Malingering, aggravating disease or infirmity or injuring self or another

 Every person who

  • (a) malingers or feigns or produces disease or infirmity,

  • (b) aggravates, or delays the cure of, disease or infirmity by misconduct or wilful disobedience of orders, or

  • (c) wilfully maims or injures himself or any other person who is a member of any of Her Majesty’s Forces or of any forces cooperating therewith, whether at the instance of that person or not, with intent thereby to render himself or that other person unfit for service, or causes himself to be maimed or injured by any person with intent thereby to render himself unfit for service,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction, if he commits the offence on active service or when under orders for active service or in respect of a person on active service or under orders for active service, is liable to imprisonment for life or to less punishment and, in any other case, is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 88

Offences in relation to Service Arrest and Custody

Marginal note:Detaining unnecessarily or failing to bring up for investigation

 Every person who unnecessarily detains any other person in arrest or confinement without bringing him to trial, or fails to bring that other person’s case before the proper authority for investigation, is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 89

Marginal note:Setting free without authority or allowing or assisting escape

 Every person who

  • (a) without authority sets free or authorizes or otherwise facilitates the setting free of any person in custody,

  • (b) negligently or wilfully allows to escape any person who is committed to his charge, or whom it is his duty to guard or keep in custody, or

  • (c) assists any person in escaping or in attempting to escape from custody,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction, if he acted wilfully, is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or to less punishment and, in any other case, is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 90

Marginal note:Escape from custody

 Every person who, being in arrest or confinement or in prison or otherwise in lawful custody, escapes or attempts to escape is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 91

Marginal note:Failure to comply with conditions

 Every person who, without lawful excuse, fails to comply with a condition imposed under this Division or Division 3 or 8, or a condition of an undertaking given under Division 3 or 10, is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • 1998, c. 35, s. 29
  • 2013, c. 24, s. 16

Marginal note:Hindering arrest or confinement or withholding assistance when called on

 Every person who

  • (a) resists or wilfully obstructs an officer or non-commissioned member in the performance of any duty pertaining to the arrest, custody or confinement of a person subject to the Code of Service Discipline, or

  • (b) when called on, refuses or neglects to assist an officer or non-commissioned member in the performance of any such duty

is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., 1985, c. N-5, s. 102
  • R.S., 1985, c. 31 (1st Supp.), s. 60

Marginal note:Withholding delivery over or assistance to civil power

 Every person who neglects or refuses to deliver over an officer or non-commissioned member to the civil power, pursuant to a warrant in that behalf, or to assist in the lawful apprehension of an officer or non-commissioned member accused of an offence punishable by a civil court is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., 1985, c. N-5, s. 103
  • R.S., 1985, c. 31 (1st Supp.), s. 60

Offences in relation to Vessels

Marginal note:Losing, stranding or hazarding vessels

 Every person who wilfully or negligently or through other default loses, strands or hazards, or suffers to be lost, stranded or hazarded, any of Her Majesty’s Canadian ships or other vessels of the Canadian Forces is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to dismissal with disgrace from Her Majesty’s service or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 94

 [Repealed, 1998, c. 35, s. 30]

Marginal note:Disobedience of captain’s orders

  •  (1) Every person who, when in a ship, disobeys any lawful command given by the captain of the ship in relation to the navigation or handling of the ship or affecting the safety of the ship, whether or not the captain is subject to the Code of Service Discipline, is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for life or to less punishment.

  • Marginal note:Command in ship

    (2) For the purposes of this section, every person of whatever rank shall, when the person is in a ship, be under the command, in respect of all matters relating to the navigation or handling of the ship or affecting the safety of the ship, of the captain of the ship, whether or not the captain is subject to the Code of Service Discipline.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 96

Offences in relation to Aircraft

Marginal note:Wrongful acts in relation to aircraft or aircraft material

 Every person who

  • (a) in the use of or in relation to any aircraft or aircraft material, wilfully or negligently or by neglect of or contrary to regulations, orders or instructions, does any act or omits to do anything, which act or omission causes or is likely to cause loss of life or bodily injury to any person,

  • (b) wilfully or negligently or by neglect of or contrary to regulations, orders or instructions, does any act or omits to do anything, which act or omission results or is likely to result in damage to or destruction or loss of any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or aircraft material or of aircraft or aircraft material of any forces cooperating with Her Majesty’s Forces, or

  • (c) during a state of war wilfully or negligently causes the sequestration by or under the authority of a neutral state or the destruction in a neutral state of any of Her Majesty’s aircraft or of aircraft of any forces cooperating with Her Majesty’s Forces,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction, if the person acted wilfully, is liable to imprisonment for life or to less punishment and, in any other case, is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 97

Marginal note:Signing inaccurate certificate

 Every person who signs an inaccurate certificate in relation to an aircraft or aircraft material without taking reasonable steps to ensure that it was accurate, the proof of taking which steps lies on that person, is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 98

Marginal note:Low flying

 Every person who flies an aircraft at a height less than the minimum height authorized in the circumstances is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 99

Marginal note:Disobedience of captain’s orders

  •  (1) Every person who, when in an aircraft, disobeys any lawful command given by the captain of the aircraft in relation to the flying or handling of the aircraft or affecting the safety of the aircraft, whether or not the captain is subject to the Code of Service Discipline, is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for life or to less punishment.

  • Marginal note:Command in aircraft

    (2) For the purposes of this section,

    • (a) every person of whatever rank shall, when the person is in an aircraft, be under the command, in respect of all matters relating to the flying or handling of the aircraft or affecting the safety of the aircraft, of the captain of the aircraft, whether or not the captain is subject to the Code of Service Discipline; and

    • (b) if the aircraft is a glider and is being towed by another aircraft, the captain of the glider shall, so long as the glider is being towed, be under the command, in respect of all matters relating to the flying or handling of the glider or affecting the safety of the glider, of the captain of the towing aircraft, whether or not the captain of the towing aircraft is subject to the Code of Service Discipline.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 100

Offences in relation to Vehicles

Marginal note:Improper driving of vehicles

  •  (1) Every person who

    • (a) drives a vehicle of the Canadian Forces recklessly or in a manner that is dangerous to any person or property having regard to all the circumstances of the case, or, having charge of and being in or on such a vehicle, causes or by wilful neglect permits it to be so driven,

    • (b) while the person’s ability to drive a vehicle of the Canadian Forces is impaired by alcohol or a drug, drives or attempts to drive such a vehicle, whether it is in motion or not, or

    • (c) having charge of a vehicle of the Canadian Forces, knowingly permits it to be driven by a person whose ability to drive such a vehicle is impaired by alcohol or a drug,

    is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to less punishment.

  • Marginal note:Occupant of driver’s seat deemed attempting to drive

    (2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), a person who occupies the seat ordinarily occupied by a driver of a vehicle shall be deemed to have attempted to drive the vehicle, unless that person establishes that he did not enter or mount the vehicle for the purpose of setting it in motion.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 101

Marginal note:Improper use of vehicles

 Every person who

  • (a) uses a vehicle of the Canadian Forces for an unauthorized purpose,

  • (b) without authority uses a vehicle of the Canadian Forces for any purpose, or

  • (c) uses a vehicle of the Canadian Forces contrary to any regulation, order or instruction,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 102

Offences in relation to Property

Marginal note:Causing fires

 Every person who wilfully or negligently or by neglect of or contrary to regulations, orders or instructions, does any act or omits to do anything, which act or omission causes or is likely to cause fire to occur in any materiel, defence establishment or work for defence is guilty of an offence and on conviction, if the person acted wilfully, is liable to imprisonment for life or to less punishment and, in any other case, is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 103

Marginal note:Stealing

  •  (1) Every person who steals is guilty of an offence and on conviction, if by reason of the person’s rank, appointment or employment or as a result of any lawful command the person, at the time of the commission of the offence, was entrusted with the custody, control or distribution of the thing stolen, is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years or to less punishment and, in any other case, is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or to less punishment.

  • Marginal note:Definition

    (2) For the purposes of this section,

    • (a) stealing is the act of fraudulently and without colour of right taking, or fraudulently and without colour of right converting to the use of any person, any thing capable of being stolen, with intent

      • (i) to deprive, temporarily or absolutely, the owner of it or a person who has a special property or interest in it, of the thing or of that property or interest,

      • (ii) to pledge it or deposit it as security,

      • (iii) to part with it under a condition with respect to its return that the person who parts with it may be unable to perform, or

      • (iv) to deal with it in such a manner that it cannot be restored in the condition in which it was at the time when it was taken and converted;

    • (b) stealing is committed when the offender moves the thing or causes it to move or to be moved, or begins to cause it to become movable, with intent to steal it;

    • (c) the taking or conversion may be fraudulent, although effected without secrecy or attempt at concealment; and

    • (d) it is immaterial whether the thing converted was taken for the purpose of conversion, or whether it was, at the time of the conversion, in the lawful possession of the person who converts it.

  • Marginal note:When movable inanimate things capable of being stolen

    (3) Every inanimate thing that is the property of any person and that either is or may be made movable is capable of being stolen as soon as it becomes movable, although it is made movable in order that it may be stolen.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 104

Marginal note:Receiving

 Every person who receives or retains in his possession any property obtained by the commission of any service offence, knowing the property to have been so obtained, is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 105

Marginal note:Destruction, damage, loss or improper disposal

 Every person who

  • (a) wilfully destroys or damages, loses by neglect, improperly sells or wastefully expends any public property, non-public property or property of any of Her Majesty’s Forces or of any forces cooperating therewith,

  • (b) wilfully destroys, damages or improperly sells any property belonging to another person who is subject to the Code of Service Discipline, or

  • (c) sells, pawns or otherwise disposes of any cross, medal, insignia or other decoration granted by or with the approval of Her Majesty,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., c. N-4, s. 106

Marginal note:Miscellaneous offences

 Every person who

  • (a) connives at the exaction of an exorbitant price for property purchased or rented by a person supplying property or services to the Canadian Forces,

  • (b) improperly demands or accepts compensation, consideration or personal advantage in respect of the performance of any military duty or in respect of any matter relating to the Department or the Canadian Forces,

  • (c) receives directly or indirectly, whether personally or by or through any member of his family or person under his control, or for his benefit, any gift, loan, promise, compensation or consideration, either in money or otherwise, from any person, for assisting or favouring any person in the transaction of any business relating to any of Her Majesty’s Forces, or to any forces cooperating therewith or to any mess, institute or canteen operated for the use and benefit of members of those forces,

  • (d) demands or accepts compensation, consideration or personal advantage for convoying a vessel entrusted to his care,

  • (e) being in command of a vessel or aircraft, takes or receives on board goods or merchandise that he is not authorized to take or receive on board, or

  • (f) commits any act of a fraudulent nature not particularly specified in sections 73 to 128,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to imprisonment for less than two years or to less punishment.

  • R.S., 1985, c. N-5, s. 117
  • 1998, c. 35, s. 31
 

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