The International Mobile Satellite Organisation (Immunities and Privileges) Order 1999

PART IV OFFICERS

HIGH OFFICER

16.—(1) Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or immunity is waived by the Assembly of the Organisation, the Director of the Organisation shall enjoy:–

(a) the like immunity from personal arrest or detention as is accorded to a diplomatic agent;

(b) the like immunity from suit and legal process as is accorded to a diplomatic agent; this immunity shall not apply, however, in the case of a motor traffic offence committed by him, nor in the case of damage caused to a motor vehicle belonging to or driven by him; provided that this Article shall not apply to any person who is a British citizen, a British Dependent Territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen, or a British National (Overseas) or who is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom.

(2) Part IV of Schedule 1 to the Act shall not operate so as to confer any privilege or immunity on the family of an officer to whom this Article applies.

ALL OFFICERS

17.  Except in so far as in any particular case any privilege or immunity is waived by the Director of the Organisation or, in the case of the Director, by the Assembly of the Organisation, all officers of the Organisation appointed or recruited for employment with the Organisation and subject to its staff regulations as well as the Director, with the exception of persons recruited locally and assigned to hourly rates of pay, shall enjoy:–

(a) immunity from suit and legal process even after they have left the service of the Organisation, in respect of acts, including words written or spoken, done by them in the exercise of their functions; this immunity shall not apply, however, in the case of a motor traffic offence committed by an officer or in the case of damage caused by a motor vehicle belonging to or driven by him;

(b) as from the date on which the salaries and emoluments received by them as officers of the Organisation become subject to taxation by the Organisation for its benefit, exemption from income tax in respect of such salaries and emoluments, provided that nothing in this sub-paragraph shall be interpreted as precluding such salaries and emoluments from being taken into account for the purpose of assessing the amount of taxation to be applied to income from other sources; this paragraph shall not apply to pensions or annuities paid by the Organisation;

(c) unless they are British citizens, British Dependent Territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, or British Nationals (Overseas) or permanently resident in the United Kingdom, the like exemption from duties and taxes on the importation of furniture and personal effects (including one motor car each) which–

(i) at the time when they first enter the United Kingdom to take up their post, are imported for their personal use or for their establishment, and

(ii) were in their ownership or possession or which they were under contract to purchase immediately before they so entered the United Kingdom,

as in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 36 of the 1961 Convention Articles is accorded to a diplomatic agent;

(d) unless they are British citizens, British Dependent Territories citizens, British Overseas citizens, British Nationals (Overseas) or permanently resident in the United Kingdom, and provided that they are participating in a social security scheme established by the Organisation or in another such scheme, exemptions whereby for the purposes of the enactments relating to social security, including enactments in force in Northern Ireland–

(i) services rendered for the Organisation by them shall be deemed to be excepted from any class of employment in respect of which contributions or premiums under those enactments are payable, but

(ii) no person shall be rendered liable to pay any contribution or premium which he would not be required to pay if those services were not deemed to be so excepted.