The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007

Pensions

Applicability of pension law

99.—(1) Subject to section 101, the law applicable to the grant and payment to any officer, or to his or her widow or widower, children, dependants or personal representatives, of any pension, gratuity or other like allowance (in this section and sections 100 and 101 referred to as an “award”) in respect of the service of that officer in the public service shall be that in force on the relevant day or any later law not less favourable to the person concerned.

(2) For the purposes of this section the relevant day is—

(a) in relation to an award granted before the appointed day, the day on which the award was granted;

(b) in relation to an award granted or to be granted on or after the appointed day to or in respect of a person who was a public officer before that day, the day immediately before that day;

(c) in relation to an award granted or to be granted to or in respect of a person who first becomes a public officer on or after the appointed day, the day on which he or she becomes a public officer.

(3) For the purposes of this section, in so far as the law applicable to an award depends on the option of the person to or in respect of whom it is granted or to be granted, the law for which he or she opts shall be taken to be more favourable to him or her than any other law for which he or she might have opted.

(4) In this section “the appointed day” means the date of commencement of this Constitution.

Pensions, etc, charged on Consolidated Fund or Pension Fund

100.  Awards granted under any law for the time being in force in the Virgin Islands shall be charged on and paid out of the Consolidated Fund or the Pension Fund of the Virgin Islands.

Grant and withholding of pensions, etc

101.—(1) The power to grant any award under any pensions law in force in the Virgin Islands (other than an award to which, under that law, the person to whom it is payable is entitled as of right) and, in accordance with any provisions in that respect contained in any such law, to withhold, reduce in amount or suspend any award payable under any such law is hereby vested in the Governor, acting in his or her discretion.

(2) In this section “pensions law” means any law relating to the grant to any person, or to the widow or widower, children, dependants or personal representatives of that person, of an award in respect of the services of that person in a public office, and includes any instrument made under any such law.