Commentary First Group of Parts – Discipline Part 8 – Sentencing Powers and Mandatory Etc Sentences Section 197: Imprisonment with or without a custody plus order
410.This section modifies section 181 of the 2003 Act so as to enable a service court to pass an immediate (i.e. non-suspended) sentence of imprisonment for less than 12 months which does not include a custody plus order. An offender on whom such a sentence is passed will serve a period of custody determined by the court in accordance with section 181 of the 2003 Act, and following his release will be on licence and subject to licence conditions for the remainder of the sentence (the “licence period”), but will not be subject to any of the requirements in section 182 of the 2003 Act.
411.Subsection (3) prohibits a court from including in a custody plus order a requirement to be complied with outside the UK. So, if the court passes an immediate sentence of imprisonment for less than 12 months and expects the offender to reside outside the UK during the licence period (e.g. because he is not being sentenced to dismissal from HM service, and is likely to be posted overseas following his release from custody), the court cannot include a custody plus order in the sentence.