Reserve Forces Act 1996

Conditions for enlistment

1 (1) An enlisting officer shall not enlist any person as a man in a reserve force unless he is satisfied that the person concerned has been given a notice under sub-paragraph (2), understands it and wishes to be enlisted.

(2) A person offering to enlist shall be given a notice in such form as may be prescribed setting out the questions to be answered on attestation and stating the general conditions of the engagement to be entered into by him and such other matters as may be prescribed.

(3) The attestation paper to be used for the purpose of attesting recruits to a reserve force shall be in such form as may be prescribed.

2 (1) An enlisting officer shall not enlist a person under the appropriate minimum age unless consent to the enlistment has been given in writing by a person with—

(a) parental responsibility (within the meaning of the [1989 c. 41.] Children Act 1989 or the [S.I. 1995/755 (N.I.2)] Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995) for the person offering to enlist; or

(b) parental responsibilities (within the meaning of section 1(3) of the [1995 c. 36.] Children (Scotland) Act 1995) in relation to that person.

(2) Where the enlisting officer is satisfied, by the production of a certified copy of an entry in the register of births or by any other evidence appearing to him to be sufficient, that a person offering to enlist has or has not attained the appropriate minimum age, that person shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to have attained, or as the case may be, not to have attained, that age.

(3) A document purporting to be a certificate signed by the enlisting officer, stating that he is satisfied as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), shall be sufficient evidence, until the contrary is proved, that he was so satisfied.