481.—(1) A naval court shall consist of not more than five and not less than three members, of whom, if possible, one shall be an officer in the naval service of Her Majesty not below the rank of lieutenant, one a consular officer, and one a master of a British merchant ship, and the rest shall be either officers in the naval service of Her Majesty, masters of British merchant ships, or British merchants, and the court may include the officer summoning the same, but shall not include the master or consignee of the ship to which the parties complaining or complained against belong.

(2) The naval or consular officer in the court, if there is only one such officer, or, if there is more than one, the naval or consular officer who, according to any regulations for settling their respective ranks for the time being in force, is of the highest rank, shall be the president of the court.