Supreme Court rules in case concerning pensions for part-time judges

The Supreme Court has issued a Press Summary in the case of Miller and others v Ministry of Justice. It decided an appeal concerning the issue of when time starts to run for a claim by a part-time judge to a pension under the Part-time Workers’ Directive. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of four judges who had been denied pensions for part-time work.

Browne Jacobson, a law firm acting on behalf of the judges, commented: “This judgment means that fee-paid judges who were subsequently appointed full-time salaried members of the judiciary will now be entitled to pensions in respect of their former part-time service.” The law firm also estimated that more than 1,000 judges could be entitled to back payments and pensions, which it said could cost the Ministry of Justice up to £1bn. The Ministry of Justice said that it did not recognise the £1bn estimate, adding: “[W]e accept the Court’s judgment and are considering how to implement it.”