Pleas on Alternative Charges

(1) When an accused pleads guilty to the first of two or more alternative charges, the court, if it accepts the accused’s plea of guilty, shall record a finding of guilty in respect of the first charge and the prosecutor shall withdraw any alternative charge before the accused is arraigned on it. 55 (2) When an accused pleads guilty to one of two or more charges which are laid in the alternative other than the first of such charges, the court may– (a) proceed as if the accused had pleaded not guilty to all the charges; or (b) with the concurrence of the convening officer (which may be signified by the prosecutor) record a finding of guilty on the charge to which the accused has pleaded guilty and a finding of not guilty on any alternative charge which is placed before it in the charge-sheet. Where the court records such findings, the prosecutor shall before the accused is arraigned on it withdraw any charge which is alternative to the charge of which the court has found the accused guilty and which is placed after it in the charge-sheet.