Civil offences

(1) Any person subject to military law who commits a civil offence whether in Belize or elsewhere commits an offence under this section. (2) In this Act, the expression “civil offence” means any act or omission punishable by the law of Belize or which, if committed in Belize, would be punishable by such law and in this Act the expression “the corresponding civil offence” means the civil offence the commission of which constitutes the offence against this section. (3) A person convicted by court martial of an offence against this section shall– (a) where the offence is committed outside Belize and corresponds to the civil offence of treason or murder, be liable to suffer death; and 42 (b) in any other case, be liable to suffer any punishment or punishments which a civil court could award for the corresponding civil offence, if committed in Belize, being a punishment or punishments provided by this Act, or such punishment, not exceeding the maximum punishment which a civil court could so award as is so provided, provided that where a civil court could not so award imprisonment, a person so convicted shall be liable to suffer such punishment, less than dismissal with disgrace, as is so provided. (4) A person shall not be charged with an offence against this section committed in Belize if the corresponding civil offence is treason, murder, manslaughter, treason-felony or rape. (5) Where the corresponding civil offence is murder or manslaughter, an offence against this section shall be deemed, for the purposes of sub-section (4), to have been committed at the place of the commission of the act or occurrence of the neglect which caused the death, irrespective of the place of the death.