The Health and Social Care (Pension Scheme) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Forfeiture of rights to benefits

254.—(1) The Department may direct, subject to paragraph (7), that all or part of any rights to benefits or other amounts payable to or in respect of a member under these Regulations be forfeited if—

(a) the member is convicted of any of the offences specified in paragraph (2), and

(b) the offence was committed before the benefit or other amount becomes payable.

(2) The offences are—

(a) an offence in connection with employment that qualifies the member to belong to the Scheme, in respect of which the Secretary of State has issued a forfeiture certificate,

(b) one or more offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989 for which the member has been sentenced on the same occasion to—

(i) a term of imprisonment of at least 10 years, or

(ii) two or more consecutive terms amounting in the aggregate to at least 10 years.

(3) In paragraph (2)(a) “forfeiture certificate” means a certificate that the Secretary of State is satisfied that the offence—

(a) has been gravely injurious to the State, or

(b) is liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.

(4) The Department may direct, subject to paragraph (7), that all or part of any rights to benefits or other amounts payable in respect of a member be forfeited where the benefits or amounts are payable to a person to whom paragraph (5) applies who has been convicted of the murder or manslaughter of that member or of any other offence of which unlawful killing of that member is an element.

(5) This paragraph applies to a person who is—

(a) the member’s widow, widower, nominated partner or surviving civil partner,

(b) a dependant of the member,

(c) a person not falling within sub-paragraph (a) or (b) who is specified in a notice given under regulation 214(3), or

(d) a person to whom such benefits or amounts are payable under the member’s will or on the member’s intestacy.

(6) Subject to paragraph (7), a guaranteed minimum pension or safeguarded rights which are derived from rights to such pensions may be forfeited only if paragraph (1) applies in the case of an offence within paragraph (2)(b).

(7) This regulation is without prejudice to section 2 of the Forfeiture Act 1870(1) (under which forfeiture is required in cases of treason, subject to whole or partial restoration under section 9(2) of the Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1953(2).

(1)

1870 c. 32

(2)

1953 c. 14 (N.I.)