483.—(1) Every naval court may, after hearing and investigating the case, exercise the following powers; (that is to say,)

(a) The court may, if unanimous that the safety of the ship or crew or the interest of the owner absolutely requires it, remove the master, and appoint another person to act in his stead; but no such appointment shall be made without the consent of the consignee of the ship if at the place where the case is heard:

(b) The court may, in cases in which they are authorised by this Act and subject to the provisions of this Act, cancel or suspend the certificate of any master, mate, or engineer:

(c) The court may discharge a seaman from his ship:

(d) The court may order the wages of a seaman so discharged or any part of those wages to be forfeited, and may direct the same either to be retained by way of compensation to the owner, or to be paid into the Exchequer, in the same manner as fines under this Act:

(e) The court may decide any questions as to wages or fines or forfeitures arising between any of the parties to the proceedings:

(f) The court may direct that all or any of the costs incurred by the master or owner of any ship in procuring: the imprisonment of any seaman or apprentice in a foreign port, or in his maintenance whilst so imprisoned, shall be paid out of and deducted from the wages of that seaman or apprentice, whether then or subsequently earned:

(g) The court may exercise the same powers with regard to persons charged before them with the commission of offences at sea or abroad as British consular officers can under the Thirteenth Part of this Act:

(h) The court may punish any master of a ship or any of the crew of a ship respecting whose conduct a complaint is brought before them for any offence against this Act, which, when committed by the said master or member of the crew, is punishable on summary conviction, and shall for that purpose have the same powers as a court of summary jurisdiction would have if the case were tried in the United Kingdom: Provided that—

(i) where an offender is sentenced to imprisonment, the senior naval or consular officer present at the place where the court is held shall in writing confirm the sentence and approve the place of imprisonment, whether on land or on board ship, as a proper place for the purpose; and

(ii) copies of all sentences passed by any naval court summoned to hear any such complaint as aforesaid, shall be sent to the commander-in-chief or senior naval officer of the station:

(j) The court may, if it appears expedient, order a survey of any ship which is the subject of investigation to be made, and such survey shall accordingly be made, in the same way, and the surveyor who makes the same shall have the same powers as if such survey had been directed by a competent court in pursuance of the Fifth Part of this Act, in the course of proceedings against a seaman or apprentice for the offence of desertion.

(k) The court may order the costs of the proceedings before them, or any part of those costs, to be paid by any of the parties thereto, and may order any person making a frivolous or vexatious complaint to pay compensation for any loss or delay caused thereby; and any costs or compensation so ordered to be paid shall be paid by that person accordingly, and may be recovered in the same manner in which the wages of seamen are recoverable, or may, if the case admits, be deducted from the wages due to that person.

(2) All orders duly made by a naval court under the powers hereby given to it, shall in any subsequent legal proceedings be conclusive as to the rights of the parties.

(3) All orders made by any naval court shall, whenever practicable, be entered in the official log-book of the ship to which the parties to the proceedings before the court belong, and signed by the president of the court.