Military law is the body of law governing the rights and duties of soldiers to which all serving British soldiers are subject.

The foundation for military law is the Army Act 1955, backed up by a range of rules and regulations, including the Queen's Regulations 1975.

The Army Act 1955 covers

• enlistment
• discipline
• trial and punishment of offences
• forfeiture and deductions from pay

It also includes special powers used in times of war

The Army Act 1955 sets out the law in respect of enlistment, discipline, the trial and punishment of offences and forfeiture and deductions from pay, as well as provisions applicable in time of war, such as billeting and requisitioning of vehicles.

The principal object of military law is to maintain order and discipline amongst members of the Army and, in certain circumstances, those who accompany them. It achieves this by enforcing a special disciplinary code and procedure that supplants the ordinary criminal law of England.

Under the Army Act 1955, soldiers are liable for any criminal offences in English law that they commit. They are also subject to a range of military offences, such as Absence Without Leave (AWOL).