Interpretation

(1) In these Regulations unless the context otherwise requires: “appropriate authority” means the Governor-General acting in accordance with the advice of the Security Services Commission. “Commuted pension gratuity” means the gratuity, if any, which might have been granted to a member under regulations 30 if, in the case of such member as is described in regulation 34, on the date of his death he had retired from the Force in circumstances which enabled the grant of a pension to be made and had elected to receive a gratuity and reduced pension; “pay” under these regulations refers to basic salary and does not include pay of higher rank, specialist pay, living out allowance, entertainment allowance or any other emoluments. Defence 169 “public claim” means any public debt or disallowance including any over-issue or advance of pay, retired pay, pension or other emoluments made through an error as to the facts; or the sum required to make good any loss, deficiency or irregular expenditure of public money, any deficiency, loss, damage or destruction of public stores, buildings or other public property of which, after due investigation, no explanation satisfactory to the appropriate authority is given by the person who is responsible for the same; “service claim” means any service debt or sum required to make good any loss, deficiency or irregular expenditure of service money of which, after due investigation, no explanation satisfactory to the appropriate authority is given by the person who is responsible for the same; “substantive rank” shall exclude honorary, acting or local rank. “widow” in relation to a deceased person means the person who, immediately before his death, was his wife. CAP. 135. “wife” does not include a wife whom a person marries after leaving the Belize Defence Force. (2) Other expressions in these regulations have the same meanings as those ascribed to them in the Defence Act.