The Gambia Independence Order 1965

Compulsory retirement to facilitate appointment of local candidates

10.—(1) If the Prime Minister so requests, the authorities having power to make appointments in any branch of the public service shall consider whether there are more local candidates suitably qualified for appointment to, or promotion in, that branch than there are vacancies in that branch that could appropriately be filled by such local candidates; those authorities, if satisfied that such is the case, shall, if so requested by the Prime Minister, select officers in that branch to whom this section applies and whose retirement would, in the opinion of those authorities, cause vacancies that could appropriately be filled by such suitably qualified local candidates as are available and fit for appointment and inform the Prime Minister of the number of officers so selected; if the Prime Minister specifies a number of officers to be called upon to retire (not exceeding the number of officers so selected), those authorities shall nominate that number of officers from among the officers so selected and require them by notice in writing to retire from the public service; and any officer who is so required to retire shall retire accordingly.

(2) Any notice given under subsection (1) of this section requiring any officer to retire from the public service shall—

(a) in the case of an officer who, when he receives the notice, is on leave of absence upon the completion of a tour of duty, specify the date on which he shall so retire which shall be not earlier than the expiration of six months from the date when he receives the notice or, if his leave of absence would otherwise expire later, not earlier than when it would otherwise expire; and

(b) in the case of any other officer, specify the period, which shall be not less than six months from the date when he receives the notice, at the expiration of which he shall proceed upon leave of absence pending retirement:

Provided that the officer may agree to the notice specifying an earlier date or, as the case may be, a shorter period.

(3) This section applies to any officer who holds a pensionable office and—

(a) is designated under the Overseas Service Aid Scheme; or

(b) is an overseas officer who, after the commencement of this Order, is appointed to any public office (otherwise than on promotion or transfer from another public office) and who is notified at the time of his appointment that this section will apply to him.

(4) In this section “overseas officer” means an officer in the public service who is, either individually or as a member of a class, declared by the appropriate Commission to be an overseas officer, and “the appropriate Commission” means —

(a) in relation to an officer who can be removed from office by the Judicial Service Commission, that Commission; and

(b) in any other case, the Public Service Commission.