Judicial Pension Board

The Judicial Pension Board (JPB) is responsible for helping the Lord Chancellor to manage and govern the Judicial Pension Schemes (JPS).

Main responsibilities

The JPS are administered by XPS Administration Ltd but managed by the Lord Chancellor.

The Judicial Pension Board (JPB) assists the Lord Chancellor with:

ensuring the JPS comply with the regulations
securing compliance with the requirements of the Pensions Regulator
considering appeals and complaints, and making recommendations under the second stage of the Internal

Dispute Resolution Procedure

The JPB can also advise the Lord Chancellor on some of his discretionary powers under the regulations.

Members

The JPB is made up of an Independent Chair, equal numbers of Employer and Member Representatives, and up to 3 Independent Members.

The Independent Chair is appointed by the Lord Chancellor following consultation with the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, the Lord President in Scotland and the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

Employer and Member Representatives are appointed by the Independent Chair, with the approval of the Lord Chancellor and the Heads of Jurisdiction for the judiciary.

Independent JPB members are selected through the public appointment process.

Independent Chair

Christina Blacklaws

Independent Board Members

Kim Brown
Jo Maguire
Russell Agius

Member Representatives

Professor Stephen Hardy
His Honour Judge Miller KC
Judge Katherine Moore
The Honourable Mr Justice Trower

Employer Representatives

Andrew Waldren, Deputy Director of Judicial Pay & Pensions Policy, Ministry of Justice
Elaine Topping, Acting Chief Operating Officer, Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service
Henry Young, Deputy Director, Management and Control, Finance Directorate, Ministry of Justice
Sarah Wallace, Deputy Director, Finance, HM Courts & Tribunals Service

Judicial pension schemes contributions

The provisions for member contribution rates expired on 31 March 2020 for both the Judicial Pensions Regulations 2015 and Judicial Pensions (Fee-Paid Judges) Regulations 2017. On 1 April 2020 the Judicial Pensions and Fee-Paid Judges’ Pension Schemes (Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 entered into force.

These new regulations maintain the existing member contribution rates in the Judicial Pension Scheme 2015 and Fee-Paid Judicial Pension Scheme 2017 for the financial year 2020-2021 and each year thereafter, until alternative provisions are made. The regulations also uprate the earning thresholds under £150,001 per annum of the member contribution rate structure for both schemes in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on and from 1 April 2020, and uprate the earning thresholds each year with the increase in the CPI in the 12 months to the previous September, rounded up to the nearest pound. If the CPI rate is negative, or amounts to zero, the earning thresholds will remain unchanged.

The increase to CPI as at September 2019 was 1.7%. For this financial year, the contribution rates and earnings thresholds that will apply for the scheme/fee year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 are:

a) for the Judicial Pension Regulations 2015:

Annualised rate of pensionable earnings	Member contributions rate
Up to but not including £15,256	4.6%
£15,256 to but not including £22,005	4.6%
£22,005 to but not including £52,392	5.45%
£52,392 to but not including £150,001	7.35%
£150,001 and above	8.05%

b) for the Judicial Pensions (Fee-Paid Judges) Regulations 2017:

Annualised fees	Contribution (personal)	Contribution (dependants’)
Up to but not including £15,256	0.96%	1.80%
£15,256 to but not including £22,005	0.96%	1.80%
£22,005 to but not including £52,392	1.47%	1.80%
£52,392 to but not including £150,001	2.61%	1.80%
£150,001 and above	4.43%	0%

The contribution rates and earning thresholds will be updated every year in April on this website.

Terms of reference

Judicial Pension Board terms of reference
The Judicial Pensions Regulations 2015
Judicial Pension Board: Administration Committee Terms of Reference (PDF, 260 KB, 3 pages)
Judicial Pension Board: Dispute Resolution Committee Terms of Reference (PDF, 349 KB, 3 pages)

Publications

JPS: Advice on assumptions, Actuarial valuation as at 31 March 2020 (PDF, 4.67 MB, 83 pages)
JPS: Summary of the 2020 assumptions used in the actuarial valuation as at 31 March 2020 (PDF, 341 KB, 3 pages)
JPS: Membership data, Actuarial valuation as at 31 March 2020 (PDF, 2.84 MB, 54 pages)
JPS: Actuarial Valuation data quality (PDF, 360 KB, 3 pages)
Judicial Pension Scheme 2022: Early payment of pension, factors and guidance (PDF, 481 KB, 21 pages)
Judicial Pension Scheme 2022 guide
Judicial Pension Scheme accounts 2018 to 2019
Internal dispute resolution procedure
Lifetime allowance from 2016/17: important changes, January 2016 (PDF, 75.6 KB, 2 pages)
Annual allowance from 2016/17: important changes, January 2016 (PDF, 109 KB, 6 pages)
Important information on the scheme, June 2016 (PDF, 128 KB, 10 pages)
Judicial pension scheme 2015 guide (PDF, 494 KB, 21 pages)
Fee-Paid Judicial Pension Scheme guide
Judicial Pension Scheme 2015 annual allowance and scheme pays guidance note (PDF, 665 KB, 12 pages)
Privacy notice (PDF, 230 KB, 9 pages)
Valuation assumptions report 2016 (PDF, 848 KB, 43 pages)
Valuation data report 2016 (PDF, 2.48 MB, 51 pages)
Judicial Pension Scheme 2016 Valuation report (PDF, 1.46 MB, 57 pages)
Direction made by the Lord Chancellor 2022/01
Judicial Pension Schemes Valuation Results Actuarial valuation as at 31st March 2020 (PDF, 3.05 MB, 84 pages)