National Security (Volunteer Defence Corps) Regulations

Legislation au C1942L00037 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

STATUTORY RULES.

1942. No. 37.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT 1939-1940.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the National Security Act 1939-1940.

Dated this second day of February, 1942.

GOWRIE

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

F. M. FORDE

for and on behalf of the Minister of State for Defence Co-ordination.

 

National Security (Volunteer Defence Corps) Regulations.

Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the National Security (Volunteer Defence Corps) Regulations.

Definitions.

2.—(1.) In these Regulations unless the contrary intention appears—

“member of the Corps” means any person enlisted in the Military Forces for service in the Corps;

“the Corps” means the Corps of the Citizen Military Forces known as the Volunteer Defence Corps;

“the Defence Act” means the Defence Act 1903-1941, and, if at any time that Act is amended, means that Act as so amended.

(2.) Subject to this regulation, words used in these Regulations shall have the same meaning as in the Australian Military Regulations.

Persons holding commissions.

3. —(1.) Where any person enlisted as a private soldier in the Military Forces for service in the Corps holds any commission or honorary commission as an officer in the Defence Force or any appointment as an officer of that Force or any other rank or appointment in any part of that Force, the commission, honorary commission, appointment as an officer or other rank or appointment, as the case may be, shall, for the purposes of his service in the Corps, be and remain in abeyance during the period that person is serving in the Corps.

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 3rd February, 1942.

787.—Price 3d.


(2.) Any commission, honorary commission or appointment as an officer or any other rank or appointment held in any of His Majesty’s Naval, Military, or Air Forces, by any person enlisted as a private soldier in the Military Forces for service in the Corps shall not entitle that person to exercise any command in the Defence Force or to any appointment to any rank in the Corps :

Provided that nothing in this regulation shall restrict or prohibit the wearing by a member of the Corps of any uniform and badges of rank which he would otherwise be entitled to wear when attending, while not on duty as a member of the Corps, a levee or any civic or public function at which uniform may be worn.

(3.) When any person referred to in sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation ceases to be a member of the Corps, his commission, honorary commission or appointment as an officer or other rank or appointment in the Defence Force (other than in the Corps) shall revive without any loss of seniority and be of the same effect for all purposes as if it had not been in abeyance.

Appointment and promotion of officers of the Corps.

4.—(1.) The Governor-General may appoint or promote a member of the Corps to any office in the Corps and may, without issuing to him a commission and notwithstanding that the member holds a commission, honorary commission or appointment as an officer or any other rank or appointment in any of His Majesty’s Naval, Military or Air Forces which is not in abeyance by virtue of these Regulations, grant that member an appropriate military rank in the Corps for the period during which the member holds that office, and may remove or suspend any member of the Corps from such office.

(2.) The Governor-General may delegate to the Military Board or to any officer or officers of the Military Forces of the Commonwealth within Australia power to appoint or promote members of the Corps to any office in the Corps in an acting capacity and to an appropriate acting military rank.

(3.) A delegation under this regulation may be made to an officer personally or by designation of his appointment and may be limited to the officer named or be extended to the person for the time being performing the duties of the appointment or to the successors in command of the officer.

(4.) A delegation shall be revocable at will by the Governor-General and shall not prevent the exercise of any power by the Governor General.

(5.) The revocation of a delegation shall not affect anything done under the delegation prior to the delegate receiving notice of the revocation.

(6.) A member of the Corps appointed or promoted to acting office and acting military rank under the powers conferred by this regulation shall cease to hold that office and rank, if the Governor-General refuses to confirm the appointment or promotion.

(7.) A member of the Corps whose appointment or promotion under this regulation is confirmed by the Governor-General, shall be deemed to have been appointed or promoted (as the case may be) from the date of his appointment or promotion under the powers conferred by this regulation.


(8.) Where the Governor-General refuses to confirm any appointment or promotion to acting office and acting military rank, every act, matter, thing, right and liability which, by virtue or in consequence of that appointment or promotion to acting office and acting military rank, is done, suffered, acquired or incurred between the time a member of the Corps was so appointed or promoted and the time at which he received notice of the Governor-General refusal to confirm his appointment or promotion shall be as valid and effectual as if it were done, suffered, acquired or incurred by a member of the Corps appointed or promoted by the Governor-General to the office and rank concerned.

(9.) Upon ceasing to be a member of the Corps a member shall cease to hold any office to which he has been appointed or promoted pursuant to this regulation.

(10.) Upon ceasing to hold an office to which he has been appointed or promoted pursuant to this regulation a member of the Corps shall cease to hold the appropriate military rank to which he has been appointed or promoted in the Corps.

Seniority.

5. —(1.) The seniority of members of the Corps appointed to be officers in the Corps in their respective ranks shall be regulated by the date of their appointments, and, when appointments are of the same date, by their seniority in the Corps immediately prior to their appointments, or, in the case of first appointments, by the order in which their names appear in the Gazette.

(2.) The regimental seniority of members of the Corps appointed to be officers in the Corps shall be as determined by the Military Board.

Employer not to prevent employee from serving.

6.— (1.) An employer shall not prevent an employee and a parent or guardian shall not prevent any son or ward from performing any duty required of him as a member of the Corps.

(2.) An employer shall not in any way penalize or prejudice in his employment any employee for performing any duty required of him as a member of the Corps or for enlisting or attempting to enlist for service as a member of the Corps, either by reducing his wages, altering his position to his detriment, dismissing him from his employment or in any other way.

(3.) The performance of any duty required of a member of the Corps shall not terminate a contract of employment and the contract shall be suspended during the absence of that member for the purpose of performance of that duty, but an employer shall not be liable to pay an employee for the period of that absence.

(4.) In any proceeding for an offence against this regulation it shall lie upon the employer to show that any employee proved to have been dismissed or to have been penalized or prejudiced in his employment was so dismissed or penalized or prejudiced for some reason other than that of having performed any duty as a member of the Corps or of having enlisted or attempted to enlist for service as a member of the Corps.

 

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The National Security (Volunteer Defence Corps) Regulations 1942 were enacted by the Governor-General in Council under the National Security Act 1939-1940 to provide a legal framework for the administration and management of the Volunteer Defence Corps, which was established in response to the heightened security concerns during the Second World War. This legislation was aimed at ensuring that the operations of the Volunteer Defence Corps were efficiently organised and that members could serve without undue interference from their employers or other obligations. The regulations cover aspects such as the appointment and promotion of officers within the Corps, the handling of existing commissions or ranks held by members, and the protection of employment rights for members of the Corps, ensuring they could serve without fear of losing their jobs or facing penalties from their employers.

Scope and Application

The National Security (Volunteer Defence Corps) Regulations 1942, made under the National Security Act 1939-1940, pertain to the governance and administration of the Volunteer Defence Corps, a component of the Citizen Military Forces. These regulations apply to individuals enlisted in the Military Forces for service in the Volunteer Defence Corps and regulate the suspension of commissions and other ranks held by such individuals while they serve in the Corps. Additionally, these regulations outline the appointment and promotion of officers within the Corps, as well as the seniority of such officers. Employers are prohibited from preventing their employees from fulfilling their duties within the Corps or penalising employees for their service or attempts to enlist, and employment contracts are to be suspended, not terminated, during the period of such service. The application of these regulations is limited to the Commonwealth of Australia, and they provide for the possibility of further regulation through subordinate instruments.

Key Provisions

The National Security (Volunteer Defence Corps) Regulations provide the framework for the governance and operation of the Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) under the National Security Act 1939-1940. These regulations, among other things, define key terms such as "member of the Corps" and "the Corps" (Regulations 1 and 2), outline the conditions under which existing commissions or ranks of Defence Force officers are placed in abeyance during their service in the VDC (Regulation 3), and specify the procedures for the appointment and promotion of officers within the VDC (Regulation 4). Furthermore, these regulations establish the rules for seniority among officers appointed to the VDC (Regulation 5) and ensure that employers do not penalize employees for their service in the VDC (Regulation 6). The obligations imposed by these regulations primarily concern the status and conduct of members of the VDC. For instance, any person enlisted in the Military Forces for service in the VDC who holds a commission or other rank in the Defence Force must place that commission or rank in abeyance during their service in the VDC (Regulation 3). Employers are also obligated to ensure that their employees are not prevented from performing their duties in the VDC and are not penalized for doing so (Regulation 6). Moreover, the regulations empower the Governor-General to appoint or promote members of the VDC to various offices within the Corps and to delegate this power to the Military Board or other officers (Regulation 4). Violation of these regulations can lead to various consequences. For instance, if an employer prevents an employee from performing their duties in the VDC or penalizes them for doing so, they can be held liable in any proceeding for an offence under these regulations (Regulation 6). While the specific penalties for such violations are not detailed in the regulations, they may include fines, imprisonment, or other sanctions as prescribed by the relevant laws. The regulations also outline the consequences of delegations being revoked or appointments not being confirmed, including the validity of actions taken under such delegations or appointments (Regulation 4).

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Area of Law
National Security Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Appointment and Promotion
Seniority
Prohibited Conduct

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.