AWOL
Absent Without (Official) Leave — a service offence under section 9 of the Armed Forces Act 2006, committed when a person subject to service law is intentionally or negligently absent without leave, or becomes absent without leave through a reckless act.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Section 9 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 creates the offence in two limbs. A person subject to service law commits an offence if subsection (2) or (3) applies to him: subsection (2) applies where he is intentionally or negligently absent without leave, while subsection (3) applies where he does an act, being reckless as to whether it will cause him to be absent without leave, and it causes him to be absent without leave — the reference to 'act' in that limb expressly includes an omission.
The offence carries a capped custodial maximum: a person guilty of an offence under section 9 is liable to any punishment mentioned in the Table in section 164, but any sentence of imprisonment imposed in respect of the offence must not exceed two years. Section 9 came fully into force on 31 October 2009.
Related terms
Official sources
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