grandfather rights
English
[edit]Noun
[edit]grandfather rights pl (normally plural, singular grandfather right)
- Rights granted because of a pre-existing right or privilege, e.g. before a change in the law.
- He was able to drive a 7.5-tonner using his grandfather rights, as he obtained his driving licence before the law was changed.
- 2021 January 27, Industry Insider, “Surplus to requirements”, in RAIL, number 923, page 68:
- What is described as 'grandfather rights' has allowed older equipment to continue in operation where a financial case cannot be made to adopt new regulations. But such dispensations are inevitably time limited and ultimately a decision to replace or modify them must be made.
References
[edit]- “grandfather rights”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.