Section 2: Interpretation

2. Interpretation (1) In this Act— “civilian component” means the civilian personnel accompanying a visiting force and employed by the service authorities of the sending country, who are not citizens of, nor ordinarily resident in, Mauritius; “contractor” means a person who has entered into a contract or subcontract to execute works or perform services in Mauritius for service authorities or a service organisation; “dependent”, in relation to a member of a visiting force or civilian component, means— (a) the spouse of that member; (b) a person who is wholly or mainly maintained by him or in his custody, charge or care; (c) a person who forms part of his family; or (d) a person in domestic employment of his household, not being a citizen of, nor ordinarily resident in, Mauritius; “member”, in relation to a visiting force, means a member of the forces of a sending country appointed to serve with that visiting force; V8 – 1 [Issue 1] “Minister” means the Minister to whom responsibility for the subject of internal affairs is assigned; “sending country”, in relation to a visiting force, means a country specified in or designated under section 3; “service authorities” means naval, military or air force authorities empowered by the law of a sending country to exercise command or jurisdiction over the members of a visiting force or civilian component of that country and their dependants; “Service Court” means a Court established under the service law of a sending country and includes an authority of that country which under its law is empowered to review the proceedings of such a Court or to try or investigate charges brought against persons subject to the service law of that country; “service establishment” means land held or occupied by the service authorities of a sending country for the purposes of a visiting force; “service installation” means a building, structure or other work, whether or not on a service establishment, constructed or adapted for use for the purposes of a visiting force; “service law”, in relation to a country, means the law governing all or any of the forces of that country; “service organisation” means an organisation authorised by the service authorities to accompany a visiting force in order to provide for the needs of the members, civilian component and dependants; “visiting force” means a body, contingent or detachment of the forces of a sending country, being a body, contingent or detachment stationed in Mauritius on the invitation or with the consent of Government of Mauritius. (2) In determining for the purposes of this Act whether a person is, or was at any time, ordinarily resident in Mauritius, no account shall be taken of any period during which he has been or intends to be present in Mauritius while he is a member of a visiting force or civilian component or a dependent of that person. (3) References in this Act to members of a visiting force or civilian component of a sending country and their dependants or service organisations include members of a visiting force or civilian component of that country and their dependants or service organisations who are present in Mauritius while in transit to any other country.