Order XXVIII Rule 1: Officers, soldiers, sailors or airmen who cannot obtain leave may authorise any person to

Officers, soldiers, sailors or airmen who cannot obtain leave may authorise any person to sue or defend for them. (1) Where any officer, [soldier, sailor or airman] actually [in the service of the State] in [such] capacity is a party to a suit, and cannot obtain leave of absence for the purpose of prosecuting or defending the suit in person, he may authorise any person to sue or defend in his stead. (2) The authority shall be in writing and shall be signed by the officer, [soldier, sailor or airman] in the presence of (a) his commanding officer, or he next subordinate officer, if the party is himself the commanding officer, or (b) where the officer, [soldier, sailor or airman] is serving in military, [naval,] [or air force] staff employment, the head or other superior officer of the office in which he is employed. Such commanding or other officer shall countersign the authority, which shall be filed in Court. (3) When so filed the countersignature shall be sufficient proof that the authority was duly executed, and that the officer, [soldier, sailor or airman] by whom it was granted could not obtain leave of absence for the purpose of prosecuting or defending the suit in person. Explanation. In this Order the expression “commanding officer” means the officer in actual command for the time being of any regiment, corps, [ship,] detachment or depot to which the officer, [soldier, sailor or airman] belongs.

Effective date: 1909-01-01

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