(1) The law to be applied with respect to any pension benefits
that were granted to any person at any time before 19th September 1983 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 favorable to that person.
(2) The law to be applied with respect to any pensions benefits (not being
benefits to which subsection (1) applies) shall-
a) in so far as those benefits are wholly in respect of a period of service
as a public officer or a judge that commenced at any time before 19th September
1983 by law that was in force on 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 or a judge that commenced on or after that date, be
the law in force on the date on which that period of service commenced,
or any law in force at a later date that is not less favorable to that
person.
(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 favorable to him than the other
law or laws.
(4) All pensions benefits shall (except to the extent they are charged by law
upon and duly paid out of some other fund) be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.
(5) In this section "pensions benefits" means any pensions, compensation,
gratuities or other like allowances for persons in respect of their service as
members of the National Assembly, judges or officers of the Supreme Court or
public officer 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.
