Defence Act 1954

Enlistment in the Permanent Defence Force for service during a fixed period either in the Permanent Defence Force or partly in the Permanent Defence Force and partly in the Reserve Defence Force.

53

53.—(1) (a) A person F40[…] may be enlisted as a man of the Permanent Defence Force for service for a period of twelve years or for such less period as may from time to time be prescribed, but not for any longer period, and the period for which a person enlisting under this section is enlisted is in this Act referred to as the term of his original enlistment.

(b) The Minister, in special cases or classes of cases, may direct that where a F41[person] is enlisted under this section F42[, prior to its amendment by section 3 of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2021,] before attaining the age of eighteen years the period of twelve years mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be reckoned from the day on which F43[he or she attains] the age of eighteen years.

(2) The enlistment of a person under this section shall be as follows, either—

(a) for the whole of the term of his original enlistment in the Permanent Defence Force, or

(b) for such portion of the term of his original enlistment as may from time to time be prescribed and as is specified in his attestation paper in the Permanent Defence Force and for the residue of the said term in the Reserve Defence Force.

Annotations

Amendments:

F40

Deleted (4.04.2022) by Defence (Amendment) Act 2021 (33/2021), s. 3(a)(i), S.I. No. 179 of 2022.

F41

Substituted (4.04.2022) by Defence (Amendment) Act 2021 (33/2021), s. 3(a)(ii)(I), S.I. No. 179 of 2022.

F42

Inserted (4.04.2022) by Defence (Amendment) Act 2021 (33/2021), s. 3(a)(ii)(II), S.I. No. 179 of 2022.

F43

Substituted (4.04.2022) by Defence (Amendment) Act 2021 (33/2021), s. 3(a)(ii)(III), S.I. No. 179 of 2022.

Modifications (not altering text):

C22

Application of section extended (23.01.1980) by Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1979 (28/1979), s. 4, S.I. No. 19 of 1980.

Application of sections 53, 54 and 55 of Principal Act to women.

4.—A woman may—

(a) be enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force for service for a fixed period either in the Permanent Defence Force or partly in the Permanent Defence Force and partly in the Reserve Defence Force,

(b) be enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force for service for a period of emergency, or

(c) be directly enlisted in the Reserve Defence Force for service for a fixed period,

and for that purpose references in sections 53, 54 and 55 of the Principal Act to persons shall be construed as including persons of either sex and references in sections 53 (1) (b) and 55 (1) (b) of that Act to a boy shall be construed as including references to a girl.