63.—The Defence Act, 1954, is hereby amended by the substitution for section 156 (as substituted by the Larceny Act, 1990) of the following section:

“156.—(1) Every person subject to military law who—

(a) steals or otherwise unlawfully obtains any property belonging to a person subject to military law or any public service property or service property, or

(b) handles or possesses (within the meaning of section 17 or 18 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001) any such property,

is guilty of an offence against military law and shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to suffer imprisonment for any term not exceeding two years or any less punishment awardable by a court martial.

(2) The said sections 17 and 18 shall apply to the offences of handling and possessing under subsection (1)(b) of this section as they apply to the offences of handling and possessing stolen or otherwise unlawfully obtained property.”.