Teachers’
Superannuation (Jersey) Law 1979[1]
A LAW to make new provisions in
relation to pensions and other similar benefits payable to, and in respect of,
teachers and certain other persons employed in connection with the provision of
educational services; to treat as having applied to Jersey certain principal
and subordinate enactments of the Parliament of the United Kingdom relating to
the matters aforesaid; and for connected purposes
Commencement [see endnotes]
1 Interpretation
In this
Law, unless the context otherwise requires –
“Actuary”
means the person appointed under Article 3(11) to be the Actuary in
relation to the Fund;
“Fund” means
the fund established by Article 3;
“Management Board”
means the Management Board established by an Order in accordance with Article 2(2)(ha);
“Minister”
means the Chief Minister;
“pension”
includes allowance, gratuity or other benefit;
“prescribed”
means prescribed by Order made under this Law by the Minister.[2]
2 Provision
of Pensions
(1) The
Minister shall, by Order, prescribe the pensions which, subject to the
fulfilment of such requirements and conditions as shall be prescribed, are to
be, or may be, paid, out of the Fund, to or in respect of teachers and shall
prescribe the means by which the cost of providing the pensions is to be
defrayed, including the contributions or other payments to be made by teachers
and their employers.[3]
(2) Without
prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), Orders made under this Article
may –
(a) provide
for the Minister to enter into reciprocal arrangements with employers and for
there to be paid from and received into the Fund transfer values, or, in the
place of them, for there to be transferred or received any fund or part of a
fund or policy of insurance;
(b) provide
for reckoning in respect of a teacher any service in employment or as the
holder of an office in respect of which a pension is not payable under this Law
as service in respect of which a pension is payable, either unconditionally or
subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and either as respects the
whole of the service or such fraction thereof as may be so prescribed;
(c) prescribe
the circumstances in which prescribed contributions, or any part thereof, paid
by a teacher may be repaid with or without interest;
(d) secure
that where –
(i) provision is made
by Order for the payment to or in respect of a teacher of a pension in
consequence of their having become incapacitated, or having died, as a result
of an injury sustained, or disease contracted in prescribed circumstances, and
(ii) any
damages in respect of the injury, disease or death in consequence of which the
pension is paid are recovered by or on behalf of the person to whom the pension
is paid,
the amount of any
payments made to that person in respect of the pension before the right to, or
amount of, such damages is finally determined, or such part of these payments
as may be prescribed, may be recovered from that person in such circumstances
and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed;
(e) authorize
the payment, without probate or other proof of title, of any sum due under such
an Order in respect of a person who has died to the person charged with the
administration of the person’s property or such other person as may be
prescribed;
(f) render
void any assignment of, or charge on, or any agreement to assign or charge, any
pension payable under such an Order, and provide that on the bankruptcy of any person
entitled to such a pension no part thereof shall pass to any other person
except on the order of a court made in pursuance of a prescribed enactment or a
prescribed provision of customary law;
(g) provide
for the determination of any question arising under such an Order and for any
decision which falls to be taken by the Minister or Management Board in
accordance with the Order to be final;
(h) confer
on such persons as may be prescribed such functions as the Minister considers
necessary or expedient for the purposes of such an Order;
(ha) establish a
Management Board comprised of the prescribed persons and having, in addition to
any powers or duties conferred or imposed by this Law, the prescribed powers,
prescribed duties and prescribed functions in relation to the management of the
Fund;
(hb) provide for
the circumstances in which increases in pensions may be payable by the Fund;
(hc) provide
what is to happen if a report of the Actuary under Article 3(13) or under
the Order shows a deficiency or disposable surplus in the Fund;
(hd) provide
that where a lump sum becomes payable under the scheme on the death of a
teacher, the Management Board shall determine –
(i) the recipients
(whether individuals or persons),
(ii) whether
the lump sum is to be paid wholly to one recipient or in parts to more than one
recipient,
(iii) whether
the lump sum is to be paid in full, partially or not at all;
(i) repeal
or amend any enactment which is inconsistent with, or has become unnecessary or
requires modification in consequence of, such an Order;
(j) include
such incidental, supplementary and transitional provisions as appear to be
necessary or expedient;
(k) make
different provisions as respects different classes of persons and different
circumstances.[4]
(2A) The
Management Board may delegate all or any of the powers, duties or functions
conferred or imposed on it under this Law or an Order made under this Law.[5]
(2B) However,
the Management Board shall not, without the consent of the Minister for
Treasury and Resources, delegate any power, duty or function relating to the
investment of money in the Fund.[6]
(3) In
this Article, “teachers” includes such persons as may be
prescribed, being persons employed otherwise than as teachers –
(a) in a
capacity connected with education which to a substantial extent involves the
control or supervision of teachers; or
(b) in
employment which involves the performance of duties in connection with the
provision of education or services ancillary to education.
(4) Orders
made under this Article may be framed –
(a) so as
to apply in relation to the pension which is being paid or may become payable
thereunder to or in respect of a person who, having served in an employment,
service which is pensionable under such an Order, has ceased to serve therein
or died before it comes into operation; or
(b) so as
to require or authorize the payment of pensions to or in respect of such
persons,
but such an Order shall
not place any person in a worse position than the person would have been if it
had not applied to a pension which is being paid or may become payable to the person,
unless the person is given an opportunity by the Order to elect that it shall
not so apply.[7]
(5) An
Order made under this Article may be framed so as to have effect from a date
earlier than the date on which it is made:
Provided that such an Order
shall not place any person who is qualified to participate in the benefits for
which it provides in a worse position than the person would have been in if the
Order had had effect only from the date on which it was made.
(6) An
Order made under this Article after 1 January 2007 and before
1 January 2008 may specify that it shall be taken to have come into
force from 1 January 2007, if the Order does not apply to or in
respect of a teacher other than a teacher who has after 1 January 2007
entered, or re-entered, into service in respect of which a pension is or may be
payable under this Law.[8]
(7) An
Order to which paragraph (6) applies may contain –
(a) provisions
in relation to the repeal or amendment of any enactment which is inconsistent
with, or has become unnecessary or requires modification in consequence of, the
Order; and
(b) provisions
relating to the retrospective operation and effect of the Order.[9]
(8) The
proviso to paragraph (5) shall not apply in relation to an Order to which
paragraph (6) applies.[10]
3 Teachers’
Superannuation Fund
(1) For
the purposes of this Law there shall be established a fund to be known as the “Teachers’
Superannuation Fund”.[11]
(2) There
shall be paid into the Fund –
(a) the
contributions or other payments made under Article 2(1), or Article 5(2);
(b) any
dividends or interest arising out of the investment of the Fund or any part thereof,
and any capital sums resulting from the realization of any such investments;
(c) any
amounts received by way of transfer values under reciprocal arrangements entered
into by the Minister;
(d) any
other sums which the States may become liable to contribute to the Fund.
(3) There
shall be paid out of the Fund –
(a) prescribed
pensions and any increases in pensions;
(b) any
sum payable in respect of repaid contributions, and any interest payable
thereon;
(c) any
sums payable by way of transfer values under reciprocal arrangements entered
into by the Minister;
(d) any
allowances and gratuities payable under Article 5(2);
(e) any
administrative expenses of the Fund.[12]
(4) Any
monies in the Fund which are not for the time being required for the purposes
described in paragraph (3) may be paid over to –
(a) an
investment manager; or
(b) the
Treasurer of the States,
and may, by either of
them, be invested in accordance with any directions that may be given by the
Management Board.[13]
(5) The
Minister may by Order make provision in relation to the appointment of
investment managers by the Management Board.[14]
(5A) The
Management Board may, after consultation with the Minister for Treasury and
Resources, appoint one or more investment managers in accordance with an Order
made under paragraph (5).[15]
(6) An
Order made under paragraph (5) shall include provisions –
(a) to ensure –
(i) the appointment
of a suitable person or persons, and
(ii) that
regard is paid to the need for diversification of investment of the assets of
the fund; and
(b) relating to the –
(i) suitability of
investments which the manager proposes to make,
(ii) retention
of control by the Management Board over the investments and over the
application of the assets of the fund, and
(iii) terms
and conditions of appointment of investment managers including the further
delegation by such investment managers of the powers of management and
investment given by such appointment.[16]
(7) The
Management Board, in giving any directions as to the investment of the monies
of the Fund pursuant to paragraph (4), shall have regard to
the –
(i) need for
diversification of investment of fund monies,
(ii) suitability
of investments of any description which are proposed to be made, and
(iii) obtaining,
at reasonable intervals, of proper advice.[17]
(8) In
this Article –
(a) “investment manager” means a person
or persons reasonably believed by the Management Board to be suitably
qualified by ability in and practical experience of financial matters to make
investment decisions on its behalf;
(b) the reference in paragraph (7)(iii) to
“proper advice” is a reference to the advice of a person or persons
reasonably believed by the Management Board to be qualified by the person’s
ability in and practical experience of financial matters to give such advice.[18]
(9) The
Treasurer of the States may borrow money in order to obtain currency, other
than sterling, required for any purpose connected with the investment of the
Fund.[19]
(10) The
Management Board shall ensure that regular meetings to discuss the management
of the Fund are held between it and the investment managers.[20]
(11) The
Management Board shall, with the approval of the Minister after the Minister
has consulted with the Minister for Treasury and Resources, appoint a person
with the prescribed qualifications, if any, to be the Actuary in relation to
the Fund.[21]
(12) The
Actuary shall review the operation of the Fund in respect of –
(a) each
5 year period beginning on the 1st September 1986; or
(b) each period, of less than 5 years, that the
Minister may, after consultation with the Management Board, determine,
and shall complete the review as soon as practicable after the end
of that period.[22]
(13) On
each review under paragraph (12), the Actuary shall make a report to the
Minister, the Minister for Treasury and Resources and the Management Board on –
(a) the
financial condition of the Fund; and
(b) the
adequacy or otherwise of the contributions payable under this Law to support
the pensions and other benefits payable under this Law.[23]
(14) A
copy of every report under paragraph (13) shall be laid by the Minister
before the States as soon as practicable after it is made.[24]
4 Offences
Any person who,
knowingly, by means of any false representation, statement or document, or by
personation or other fraudulent means, obtains or attempts to obtain, for himself
or herself, or for any other person, any pension, or any increase in, or
payment in respect of, such a pension or any sum by way of repaid
contributions, under any Order made under this Law, shall be guilty of an
offence and shall be liable to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 2 years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
5 Repeal
and Saving
(1) Subject
to paragraph (2) of this Article, the Laws listed in the Schedule to this Law
shall be deemed to have been repealed from such date or dates as may be
prescribed.
(2) The
repeal of the Laws listed in the Schedule to this Law shall not affect their
operation in relation to –
(a) any
annual allowance which began to accrue under those Laws before the date of
their repeal;
(b) any
additional allowance or gratuity which became payable under those Laws before
that date; or
(c) any
liability to pay contributions under those Laws in respect of the person to or
in respect of whom any such allowance or gratuity was granted,
and such allowances and
gratuities shall be payable out of, and such contributions shall be payable
into, the Fund as though they were prescribed pensions and contributions.
6 Transitory
Provisions
(1) For
the purpose of preserving parity with England and Wales as regards the
superannuation of teachers, as defined in Article 2(3), who are employed
in Jersey at the time of the coming into force of this Article, or who were
employed in Jersey during such period preceding that time as may be prescribed,
the Minister may by Order apply to Jersey, subject to such modifications,
adaptations or exceptions as may be prescribed, such of the provisions
of –
(a) the Teachers’
Superannuation Act 1965, an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom;
(b) the Teachers’
Superannuation Act 1967, an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom;
(c) the Superannuation
Act 1972, an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, insofar as the Act
applies to teachers;
(d) any
enactments made under any of those Acts,
as may be prescribed,
whether or not those Acts or subordinate enactments are in force in England and
Wales at the time they are applied to Jersey under this paragraph, and they
shall, in their application to Jersey, be deemed to have had effect from the
date on which they came into force in England and Wales until the date on which
they ceased to be in force there, or such earlier date or dates as may be
prescribed.
(2) An
Order made under this Article may contain such incidental, supplementary and consequential
provisions as appear to be necessary or expedient.
7 Orders[25]
(1) The
Minister may make Orders prescribing anything which by this Law is to be
prescribed.
(2) Before
making an Order under this Law, the Minister shall consult with the Management Board.
8 Citation
This Law may be cited as the Teachers’
Superannuation (Jersey) Law 1979.