The QR&O are issued under the authority of Section 12 of the National Defence Act (NDA), the governing statute of the Canadian Forces.
Section 12 provides the Governor in Council (i.e., the Governor General acting on the advice of Cabinet) and the Minister of National Defence with the power to make regulations for the "organization, training, discipline, efficiency, administration, and government of the Forces",[1] so long as such regulations are not inconsistent with the NDA, common-law principles of natural justice,[2] the Canadian Bill of Rights or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;[3] it also permits the Treasury Board to make regulations concerning pay, allowances, forfeitures, deductions, etc.
It comprises the following chapters: Volume II amplifies the Code of Service Discipline and is the authoritative manual for military law in Canada.
It contains the regulations governing the commission of service offences (ranging from treason to negligent discharges) and the prosecution and punishment thereof, from summary trials to the various kinds of court-martial.
It comprises the following chapters: Volume III lays out the framework of regulations that govern the financial issues of the CF, including pay, allotments, deductions, expenses, etc.