The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014

Forfeiture of pension rights after conviction for employment-related offences

102.—(1) If a member is convicted of a relevant offence, the former employing authority may apply to a Minister of the Crown who may issue a forfeiture certificate.

(2) A relevant offence is an offence committed in connection with an employment in which the person convicted is a member and because of which the member left that employment.

(3) Where a former employing authority applies for a forfeiture certificate, it shall at the same time send the convicted person and the Committee a copy of the application.

(4) Where a forfeiture certificate is issued, the member’s former employing authority may direct that any of the member’s rights under these Regulations as respects that member’s previous membership are forfeited.

(5) The former employing authority shall serve a notice of its decision to make a direction on the member.

(6) A forfeiture certificate is a certificate that the offence—

(a) was gravely injurious to the State, or

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

(7) If the former employing authority incurred loss as a direct consequence of the relevant offence, it may only give a direction under paragraph (4) if it is unable to recover its loss under regulation 104 (recovery or retention where former member has misconduct obligation) or otherwise, except after an unreasonable time or at disproportionate cost.

(8) A direction under paragraph (4) may only be given if an application to a Minister of the Crown for a forfeiture certificate has been made by the former employing authority before the expiry of the period of three months beginning with the date of conviction.