(1) Except as provided in this regulation every sailor who is found guilty of absence without leave or improperly leaving his ship or place of duty shall be punished with mulcts of pay and stoppage of leave in accordance with the following scale, namely: -
(a) Where the period of absence does not exceed three hours, one day’s pay and one day’s leave;
(b) Where the period of absence exceeds three hours but does not exceed thirty-six hours, one day’s pay and one days leave for every three hours absence or part there of;
(c) Where the period of absence exceeds thirty six hours, one day’s pay and one day’s leave for every three hours of absence up to thirty six hours and one day’s pay and one day’s leave for each subsequent period of six hours or part of six hours, so, however, that the stoppage of leave shall in no case exceed sixty days.
(2) If the period of absence is trivial or if there are extenuating circumstances and the period of improper absence does not exceed thirty six hours the Commanding Officer may, at his discretion, reduce the mulcts by such an amount as he may consider reasonable; the stoppage of leave being reduced to a corresponding extent.
(3) The provisions of sub-regulation (2) shall apply to leave breaking up to thirtysix hours dealt with in conjunction with other offences.
(4) If the period of absence exceeds thirty six hours or the offence is aggravated or repeated, any other punishment permitted by these regulations may be awarded according to the degree of offence, in addition to the mulcts of pay and stoppage of leave on the scale mentioned in sub-regulation (1) and if there are mitigating circumstances justifying exceptional treatment, the commanding officer may at his discretion, reduce the mulcts, provided that the actual mulcts (i.e. excluding detention or confinement in cell) shall not be reduced to less than one day’s pay for each day’s absence and where the stoppage of leave according to the said scale would amount to thirty days or less it may also be correspondingly reduced.
(5) Stoppage of leave for any period in excess of the scale shall not be awarded as a punishment for leave breaking, except in aggravated or repeated cases.