Military Service Act (United Kingdom)

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See also: Recruitment to the British Army during World War I

For the 1917 Canadian Act of the same name, see Military Service Act (Canada).

In January 1916, Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith introduced the Military Service Act, the first act of full conscription in British military history. Previous to this Act, the British Government had been relying on voluntary registration called the Derby Scheme.

The act of January 1916 specified that men from the ages of 18 to 41 were liable to be called-up for service unless they were married (or widowed with children), or else served in one of a number of reserved professions (usually industrial but which also included clergymen and teachers).