King's Speech 2026: Armed Forces Bill

Wednesday, 13 May 2026 12:32

“My Government will support our gallant Armed Forces and their families who make considerable personal sacrifices [...]. My Ministers will recognise this service with an Armed Forces Bill that improves the service justice system and establishes the Armed Forces covenant in statute.” Our Armed Forces – and the families who support them – make extraordinary sacrifices to keep the nation safe. But for too long, they have felt undervalued. This...Request free trial

“My Government will support our gallant Armed Forces and their families who make considerable personal sacrifices [...]. My Ministers will recognise this service with an Armed Forces Bill that improves the service justice system and establishes the Armed Forces covenant in statute.”

Our Armed Forces – and the families who support them – make extraordinary sacrifices to keep the nation safe. But for too long, they have felt undervalued. This Government was elected on a promise to change that and renew the nation's contract with those who serve – and through this Armed Forces Bill we are delivering on that promise.

The Armed Forces Bill ensures that the legal framework remains in place for the Armed Forces to be recruited and maintained as disciplined bodies. It also delivers the Government's commitment to those who keep us safe and demonstrates that the Government is on the side of our forces, our veterans, and their families. It will extend the Armed Forces Covenant legal duty, deliver better defence housing, provide better protections for those who serve through reforms to the Service Justice System and expand the pool of Reserves.

What does the Bill do?

The Bill will:

Renew the Armed Forces Act 2006 to ensure that the UK continues to have a standing army. For legal and constitutional reasons, an Armed Forces Act is required every five years.

Extend the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty to all areas of government, including the devolved governments. This ensures public services in critical areas like social care, childcare, social security and employment support will be legally required to consider the unique disadvantages and requirements of our Armed Forces community.

Establish the Defence Housing Service. Our military personnel deserve a safe, decent home and this service is at the heart of the Government's plan for the most significant renewal of Armed Forces housing in more than 50 years.

Expand the pool of Reserves by changing the maximum length and age limit at which some personnel can be recalled, enabling the

Government to call on some of the most experienced volunteer reservists, if needed. These are significant but necessary changes to boost preparedness in an era of ever-increasing threat.

Reform the Service Justice System, to boost protections and support for serving personnel. Measures in the Bill will modernise and improve victim support, so that victims are able to make an informed view as to whether they would prefer their case to be tried in civilian courts or the Service Justice System. The Bill will also protect victims of the most serious offences from further harm with a suite of protections and orders to ensure swift action is taken against perpetrators. It will give the Service police increased powers for investigations, the Service courts more powers to deal with perpetrators and improve the experience of victims. These measures will play a part in the Government's aim to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

Territorial extent and application

The Bill will extend, and the majority of the measures will apply, to the whole of the UK and to the Isle of Man and the British Overseas Territories (except Gibraltar), with powers to also extend it to the Channel Islands by Order in Council.

Key facts

The Covenant Legal Duty Extension brings into scope 12 policy areas that directly address Armed Forces disadvantage, including childcare, education and training, employment, health and social care, social security benefits, personal taxation, criminal justice, transport, pensions, immigration and citizenship and Armed Forces compensation.

The Chief Executive of the Army Families Federation, Collette Musgrave, said “We certainly welcome the extension. We have long argued for it, because the experience of serving personnel and their families is that much of the tension comes from the fact that they are seeking — as citizens first, while in the UK — to access statutory provision, whether that is from their local multi-academy trust, a health service or a government department”.

The Defence Housing Service is backed by billions of pounds of investment to build, renew and repair nine in 10 defence family homes. This is enabled by a landmark deal that returned 36,000 properties into public ownership, giving the Government direct control over how homes are used.

The Director of the RAF Families Federation, Andrea Devlin, said that: “The Defence Housing Service is positive, and we are very optimistic about what it is doing”.

Around 15,000 people leave the Regular and Reserve Forces every year, of which the vast majority will be subject to recall to the Armed Forces in extremis for a period of time (18 years or aged 55, whichever comes first).

Around 11,000 Regulars left the Armed Forces in the year up to September 2025. These provide an important addition to the Volunteer Reserve. Up to a third of the yearly intake of Volunteer Reserves are ex-regulars.

Approximately 3,000 offences are reported to the Service police each year. Approximately 33 per cent are Service disciplinary offences, such as being absent without leave (AWOL) or disgraceful conduct, 24 per cent relate to fraud, 19 per cent are theft, 12 per cent are violent offences, and 8 per cent are sexual offences.

Around 85-90 per cent of Service Justice matters are less serious offences dealt with at summary hearing by Commanding Officers. Around 350 Court Martial trials are held for the most serious offences each year.

Since its establishment in March 2023, the Victim Witness Care Unit has provided enhanced victim support to approximately 1500 victims.

The Soldiers', Sailors', Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA) “supports the Bill's additional powers for Service Courts to issue protective orders in cases of bullying, sexual harm, harassment, and stalking. These enhanced powers are a critical step in ensuring that serving personnel, particularly women, receive timely and appropriate protection, and that the actions and behaviours of perpetrators are addressed robustly and fairly”. SSAFA has also welcomed “the Bill's strengthened focus on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls within the Armed Forces community. Steps to address VAWG –particularly those affecting serving female personnel – are timely and sadly necessary”.