Commentary on provisions of Act Section 1: Duration of AFA 2006
Since the Bill of Rights 1688, the legislation making the provision necessary for the army to exist as a disciplined force (and, more recently, the legislation for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force) has required regular renewal by Act of Parliament.
	As originally enacted, section 382 of the AFA 2006 provided that the Act would expire one year after it received Royal Assent (which it did on 8 November 2006), unless renewed by Order in Council approved by each House of Parliament. It provided that the AFA 2006 could be continued by such an Order for up to a year at a time, but not beyond the end of 2011. Section 1 of the Armed Forces Act 2011 substituted a new section 382 maintaining the pattern of renewal by annual Orders in Council, up until the end of 2016. Section 1 of the Armed Forces Act 2016 took the same approach to renew the AFA 2006 up until the end of 2021.
	Section 1 again substitutes a new section 382, which provides for the continuation of the AFA 2006. It also repeals section 1 of the Armed Forces Act 2016, which inserted the current section 382 into the AFA 2006.