Feb 14 case management on ex-judges’ suit for higher pension

 

Twenty-eight former judges and seven dependents want their pensions revised based on the salaries of current judges. (Reuters pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has fixed Feb 14 for case management of the suit by a group of former judges and several dependents for higher pension payments.

Lawyer Christopher Leong, a member of the legal team appearing for the 28 former judges and seven dependents of deceased judges, confirmed the date.

Leong said the sealed copies of the originating summons would be served on the Attorney-General’s Chambers soon.

A check by FMT on the e-filing system revealed that the case management, to be held online, would be before High Court judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

The plaintiffs are calling for their pension payment to be adjusted based on the current salaries of serving judges.

Those who retired before 2015 received pensions based on their old salaries plus a 2% annual increase.

However, in 2015, the government made a salary revision for judges, providing a higher pension plus a 2% annual increment for those who retired after the amendment.

The plaintiffs now want a declaration that the amendment is in breach of a constitutional provision that judges’ remuneration and other terms of office, including pension rights, should not be altered to their disadvantage.

They said they had to seek legal redress as the government had refused to entertain their notice of demand sent in September last year.

The originating summons named the government, the prime minister, the Cabinet and the director-general of public service as the respondents.

Among the plaintiffs are former Court of Appeal president Alauddin Mohd Sheriff and former chief judges of Malaya Haidar Mohamed Nor and Siti Norma Yaakob.

Haidar has also filed an affidavit in support of the suit. - FMT