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, as any officer in the
department of the Clerk of the National Assembly, or as a
member of the armed forces, that commenced after the
commencement of this Constitution, 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 favourable 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 Article, be deemed to be more favourable to him than
the other law or laws.
(4) All pension benefits shall, except to the extent to which they are a
charge on a fund established by or under any law and have been duly
paid out of that fund to the person or authority to whom payment is due,
be a charge on the general revenues of the Republic.
(5) In this Article "pension benefits" means any pensions,
compensation, gratuities or other like allowances for persons in respect
of their service as public officers, as officers in the department of the
Clerk of the National Assembly or as members of the armed forces or
for the widows, children, dependants or personal representatives of such
persons in respect of such service.
(6) References in this Article to the law with respect to pension 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:
Provided that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this
Constitution or any other written law, such references shall not be so
construed as to include the law regulating the age of compulsory
retirement.