I think it might be helpful, Chair, if members had before them a copy of chapter 104 of the Queen's Regulations and Orders. I have copies in both English and French for everybody. It quotes subsection 139(1) of the National Defence Act, which reads as follows:
The following punishments may be imposed in respect of service offences and each of those punishments is a punishment less than every punishment preceding it:
Then it lists them from (a) to (l), starting off with “imprisonment for life“ and ending with “minor punishments”.
Interestingly, (i), (j), (k), and (l) are the four that are set out in amendment G-2, those being “severe reprimand”, “reprimand”, “fine”, and “minor punishments”, although the fine is qualified in amendment G-2 by saying “a fine not exceeding basic pay for one month”.
What is important here is that the definition in subsection 139(2) of the National Defence Act says:
Where a punishment for an offence is specified by the Code of Service Discipline and it is further provided in the alternative that on conviction the offender is liable to less punishment, the expression “less punishment” means any one or more of the punishments lower in the scale of punishments than the specified punishment.