Grenada’s Lower House approves new pension and gratuities law for judicial officers
ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, (CMC) – Grenada’s Lower House of Parliament on Thursday concluded the first step that will put the island in harmony with a law pertaining to the payment of pension and gratuities to judicial officers under the OECS Supreme Court upon their retirement.
Called the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Judicial Officers Pensions) Bill, 2024, the next step is approval in the Upper House of Parliament which is scheduled to meet on December 27.
According to Phillip Telesford, the leader of Government Business in the House, the Act is following suit with the rest of the OECS so that Grenada will be in harmony with the rest of the region.
“Judges serving in any one of the territories can actually serve knowing that their pension is guaranteed regardless of the jurisdiction in which they served,” he told the House when he presented the bill for debate and approval.
“This is very automatic, we have to comply as a nation to make this consistent throughout the region,” said Telesford when he presented the Bill for debate and approval. There was little debate in the House for the legislation because only Clarice Modeste from the opposition was present but she did not contribute to the debate.
Dennis Cornwall, Member for St Patrick East and Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell who is the Member for St David supported the Bill.
The Prime Minister said the bill will affect Judicial Officers who are assigned to Grenada.
“At best we have five High Court judges at any given time in Grenada,” he said.
The Bill makes provision for the pensions and gratuities payable in respect of the service of judicial officers of the Court and provides that all pensions and gratuities payable under the Bill would be charged on and paid out of the Consolidated Fund.
The Bill further explains that a judicial officer is required to retire on or after attaining the mandatory retirement age after giving the commission at least twelve months’ notice. Judicial officers retiring when the 2024 bill goes into effect will be at a different payable rate based on the years spent serving as a Judicial Officer.
