Singapore legislation
Section 17
Section 17
Attachment of personnel and mutual powers of command
(1)
The Armed Forces Council —
may attach temporarily to a Singapore force any member of the forces of any country to which this section applies who is placed at the disposal of the Government for the purpose by the service authorities of that country; and
subject to anything to the contrary in the conditions applicable to his service, may place any member of a Singapore force at the disposal of the service authorities of any country to which this section applies for the purpose of being attached temporarily by those authorities to a force of that country,except that the power conferred by paragraph (b) shall not be exercisable in relation to any person without his consent.
(2)
Subject to subsection (3), while a member of any force of a country to which this section applies is by virtue of this section attached temporarily to a Singapore force, he shall be treated and shall have the like powers of command and punishment over members of the Singapore force to which he is attached and shall be subject in all respects to the law relating to discipline and administration of that force as if he were a member of the force of relative rank.
(3)
The President may by order direct in relation to members of a force of any such country specified in the order, that such law shall apply with such exceptions and subject to such adaptations and modifications as may be so specified.
(4)
When a Singapore force and a force of a country to which this section applies (referred to in this subsection as the other force) are serving together whether alone or not —
any member of the other force shall be treated and shall have over members of the Singapore force the like powers of command as if he were a member of the Singapore force of relative rank; and
if the forces are acting in combination, any officer of the other force appointed by the President or in accordance with regulations made by or by authority of the President, to command the combined force, or any part thereof, shall be treated and shall have over members of the Singapore force the like powers of command and punishment and may be invested with the like authority to convene, and confirm the findings and sentences of, courts martial as if he were an officer of the Singapore force of relative rank and holding the same command.
(5)
For the purpose of this section, forces shall be deemed to be serving together or acting in combination if and only if they are declared to be so serving or so acting by order of the President and the relative rank of members of the Singapore forces and of other forces shall be such as may be prescribed by regulations made by the President.