England: 200 judges challenge Truss over ‘discriminatory’ pension scheme

Over 200 judges are challenging the Lord Chancellor in court today over their pensions, alleging discrimination on the basis of race and sex.

The claimants, including six High Court judges, will begin their action at the London Central Employment Tribunal against the Ministry of Justice and Liz Truss.

Judicial pensions were altered last April, with those in the younger age group, which comprises a higher number of women and ethnic minorities, disproportionately affected.

The six High Court judges are: Dame Lucy Theis, 55; Sir Richard Arnold, 55; Sir Rabinder Singh, 52; Sir Nicholas Mostyn, 59; Sir Philip Moor, 57; and Sir Roderick Newton, 58.

The new scheme came into force last April and means that judges born after April 1 1957 are no longer eligible for the old pension arrangement, which was more beneficial.

Their solicitor, Shubha Banerjee of Leigh Day, said: “The judiciary, having traditionally been mostly male and white, has undergone recruitment drives in recent years to improve its diversity and has sought to recruit more women judges and more judges from a black and minority ethnic background.

“As a result of these successful recruitment drives, there are far more women and BME judges in the younger, disadvantaged group.

“The government accepts that younger judges are being less favourably treated, and that the female and BME judges are placed at a disadvantage when compared with other judges, but will try to argue that it can objectively justify behaviour that will otherwise be unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act.”