Uniforms Act 1894

The Uniforms Act of 1894 is an Act of Parliament to regulate and restrict the wearing of Naval and Military uniforms in the United Kingdom.

Uniforms Act 1894
Long titleAn Act to regulate and restrict the wearing of Naval and Military Uniforms
Dates
Commencement1st January 1895[1]
Status: Current legislation

The Act

The Act makes it an offence for military uniforms to be worn without authority:

It shall not be lawful for any person not serving in Her Majesty’s Military Forces to wear without Her Majesty’s permission the uniform of any of those forces, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of any such uniform: Provided that this enactment shall not prevent . . . . . . any persons from wearing any uniform or dress in the course of a stage play performed in a place duly licensed or authorised for the public performance of stage plays, or in the course of a music hall or circus performance, or in the course of any bona fide military representation.

[2]

The Act does not include the wearing of honours, medals and decorations.

Definition of Naval and Military Forces

The restrictions concern all:

As members of the Cadet Forces also wear military uniform (although are generally civilians), it would seem that the Act would also prohibit unauthorised use of Cadet Forces uniforms.

The Act also says that '"Her Majesty’s Military Forces” has the same meaning as in the Armed Forces Act 2006; [but] “Her Majesty's Naval Forces” does not include any Commonwealth force"'.[3]

Consequences

The Act makes any unauthorised use of said naval or military uniforms publishable by:

If any person not serving in Her Majesty’s Naval or Military Forces wears without Her Majesty’s permission the uniform of any of those forces, or any dress having the appearance or bearing any of the regimental or other distinctive marks of any such uniform, in such a manner or under such circumstances as to be likely to bring contempt upon that uniform, or employs any other person so to wear that uniform or dress, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [level 3 on the standard scale], or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month.

Arrests, Charges and Convictions

In 2012, the Ministry of Defence Police arrested one person, in Devon, for wearing a Royal Navy uniform.[4]

In 2016, the Metropolitan Police made an arrest for oen person "wearing military insignia without authority".[5]

In 2017, one man in Derbyshire was fined £500, after pleading guilty to Section 2 of the Act and wearing a uniform that he was not authorised to wear.[6]

The Crown Prosecution Service reported that between 2012–13 and 2017, that seven people in England and Wales appeared before magistrates, charged with breaching the Act.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Uniforms Act 1894".
  2. "Uniforms Act 1894".
  3. "Uniforms Act 1894".
  4. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/654115/2017-08989.pdf
  5. Harold Wood Police [@MPSHaroldWood] (31 March 2016). "1 arrest for wearing military insignia without authority Uniforms Act 1894 @MPSHeaton @MPSHaroldWood t.co/lzHgR2w4Zz" (Tweet). Retrieved 31 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  6. "Man fined for wearing military uniform". 26 September 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2020 – via BBC. A man has been fined £500 for wearing a military uniform without permission ... contravening section 2 of the Uniforms Act 1894.
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