Pension laws and protection of pension rights

(1) The law to be applied with respect to any pensions benefits that were granted to any person before Independence Day shall be the law that was in force at the date on which those benefits were granted or any law in force at a later date that is not less favourable to that person. (2) The law to be applied with respect to any pensions benefits (not being benefits to which subsection (1) of this section applies) shall, (a) in so far as those benefits are wholly in respect of a period of service as a public officer that commenced before Independence Day, be the law that was in force immediately before that date; and (b) in so far as those benefits are wholly or partly in respect of a period of service as a public officer that commenced after Independence Day, be the law in force on the date on which that period of service commenced, or any law in force at a later date not less favourable to that person. 141 (3) Where a person is entitled to exercise an option as to which of two or more laws shall apply in his case, the law for which he opts shall, for the purposes of this section, be deemed to be more favourable to him than the other law or laws. (4) All pensions benefits shall (except to the extent to which, in the case of benefits under the Widows’ and Orphans’ Pensions Act, Cap. 32, or under any law amending or replacing that Act, they are a charge on a fund established by that Act or by any such law and have been duly paid out of that fund to the person or authority to whom payment is due) be a charge on the general revenues of Belize. (5) In this section, “pensions benefits” means any pensions, compensation, gratuities or other like allowances for persons in respect of their service as public officers or for the widows, children, dependents or personal representatives of such persons in respect of such service. (6) References in this section to the law with respect to pensions benefits include (without prejudice to their generality) references to the law regulating the circumstances in which such benefits may be granted or in which the grant of such benefits may be refused, the law regulating the circumstances in which any such benefits that have been granted may be withheld, reduced in amount or suspended and the law regulating the amount of any such benefits.