Defence Act 1954

Direct enlistment in the Reserve Defence Force for service during a fixed period.

55

55.—(1) (a) A person F47[…] may be directly enlisted to serve as a man of the Reserve Defence Force 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 F48[person] is enlisted under this section F49[, 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 F50[he or she attains] the age of eighteen years.

(2) The enlistment of a person under this section shall be for the whole of the term of his original enlistment in the Reserve Defence Force.

(3) A person enlisted under this section shall be enlisted for service in a particular class of reservists.

Annotations

Amendments:

F47

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

F48

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

F49

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

F50

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

Modifications (not altering text):

C24

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

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.