Retirement

PENSIONS ACT CHAPTER 30 REVISED EDITION 2000 SHOWING THE LAW AS AT 31ST DECEMBER, 2000

6.-(1) Subject to section 7, no pension, gratuity or other allowance shall be granted under this Act to any officer except on his retirement from the public service in one of the following cases-

(a) if he retires from public service under the Government of Belize.

(i) Retirement Due to Age - on or after he attains the normal retirement age or, in special cases with the approval of the Governor General, any lower age not being less than fifty years; or

(ii) Abolition of Post - on the abolition of his office; or

(iii) Compulsory Retirement - on compulsory retirement for the purpose of facilitating improvement in the organization of the department to which he belonged, by which greater efficiency or economy may be effected; or

(iv) Medical Grounds - on medical evidence to the satisfaction of the Governor-General that he is incapable by reason of any infirmity of mind or body of discharging the duties of his office and that such infirmity is likely to be permanent; or

(v) Termination - in the case of termination of employment in the public interest as provided in this Act;

Marriage - 6-(2) Notwithstanding that she is not otherwise eligible under this section for the grant of any pension, gratuity or other allowance, a gratuity may be granted to a female officer in accordance with this Act who retires from the public service for the reason that she has married or is about to marry.

Resignation - 7.-(1) An officer who resigns from the public service before attaining the normal retirement age may be granted by the Governor-General in accordance with the regulations contained in the Schedule- (a) a gratuity, if he resigns after completing not less than ten years of pensionable service; (b) a pension and gratuity, if he resigns after completing not less than fifteen years of pensionable service. (2) In every case to which subsection (1) applies, the pension (but not gratuity) shall be deferred until the officer reaches the normal retirement age, or in special cases with the approval of the Governor-General, any lower age not being less than fifty years.

Retirement in Public Interest  - 8. Where an officer’s service is terminated on the ground that having regard to the conditions of the public service the usefulness of the officer thereto and all the other circumstances of the case such termination is desirable in the public interest and a pension, gratuity or other allowance cannot otherwise be granted to him under the provisions of this Act, the Governor-General may, if he thinks fit, grant such pension, gratuity or other allowance as he thinks just and proper not exceeding in amount that for which the officer would be eligible if he retired from the public service in the circumstances described in section 6 (1) (a) (iv): Provided that in determining the amount of the pension, gratuity or other allowance for which the officer would be eligible if he had retired from the public service in the circumstances described in section 6 (1) (a) (iv) no regard shall be had to regulation 4 (2) of the Pensions Regulations.

Death - 16.-(1)Where an officer holding a pensionable office who is not on probation or agreement, or an officer holding a non-pensionable office to which he has been transferred from a pensionable office in which he has been confirmed, dies while in public service under the Government of Belize the Governor General may grant to his legal personal representative a gratuity of an amount not exceeding his annual pensionable emoluments or his commuted pension gratuity, if any, whichever is the greater: Provided that for the purposes of this section an officer who has not been confirmed in his office and who dies in the circumstances mentioned in section 18 (1) shall be deemed to have been confirmed in his office.

26 July 2016