In Brief
A soldier enrolled in the Army Service Corps in 1996 absented himself without leave for 302 days, beginning when he failed to report to his new unit in November 2007. He was later tried by Summary Court Martial and dismissed from service. The Armed Forces Tribunal set aside the dismissal, finding it disproportionate given his twelve years of service. The Supreme Court reversed this, holding that unauthorized absence of over 300 days is grave misconduct that cannot be condoned. The court rejected the argument that lengthy service should mitigate the punishment, emphasizing that a serviceman's long tenure actually increases their responsibility to maintain military discipline. Dismissal was upheld as an appropriate punishment.
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