Pension Scheme and Advisory Board
The Northern Ireland Judicial Pension Scheme (NIJPS) was established by the Department of Justice on 1 April 2015 under the Judicial Pensions Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (the scheme regulations). It is a career-average revalued earnings scheme open to specified members of the devolved judiciary (that is, judicial office-holders in Northern Ireland who are not listed in paragraph 11 of Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998).
Specified members of the excepted judiciary (those office-holders who are listed) are eligible to join the equivalent Judicial Pension Scheme, which was established by the Lord Chancellor. Judicial office-holders (both devolved and excepted) with transitional protection may remain part of the predecessor to these schemes (known as JuPRA), for which the Lord Chancellor is also responsible. For further information about these schemes, contact the Ministry of Justice.
Scheme guide
The features of the NIJPS are set out in the scheme guide , which also includes contact details for queries.
Governance
The governance of the NIJPS has three elements: the scheme manager, the pension board and the scheme advisory board.
The Department of Justice is the scheme manager of the NIJPS and as such is responsible for managing and administering the scheme. The day-to-date administration of the scheme is contracted out to Punter Southall Ltd by the Ministry of Justice as part of a contract for administering all UK judicial pension schemes. Queries about the scheme should be directed to Punter Southall at NIJPS2015Admin@puntersouthall.com
Northern Ireland Judicial Pension Board
The Northern Ireland Judicial Pension Board is responsible for assisting the Department of Justice as scheme manager of the NIJPS:
- to secure compliance with the scheme regulations, any other legislation relating to the governance and administration of the NIJPS, and any requirements imposed by the Pensions Regulator in relation to the NIJPS
- in the performance of the scheme manager’s functions under the scheme regulations.
The Board is also charged with making recommendations to the scheme manager as part of Stage 2 of the NIJPS internal dispute resolution procedure, and in relation to the exercise by the scheme manager of certain discretions under the scheme regulations.
Terms of reference
Membership
The Board consists of an independent chair appointed by the Department of Justice and equal numbers of employer representatives and member representatives appointed by the chair with the approval respectively of the Department of Justice and the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.
| Name | Role | Employment and job title (where relevant) | How appointed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jill Youds | Independent chair | Appointed by the scheme manager | |
| Peter Luney | Employer representative | Acting Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service | Appointed by the chair with the approval of the scheme manager |
| Employment Judge Neil Drennan QC | Member representative | Chairman of the Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal | Appointed by the chair with the approval of the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland |
| Susan Andrews | Independent Board Member | Appointed by the Chair with the approval of the scheme manager |
Members interests
Meetings, agendas and minutes
The Board meets on a quarterly basis. Northern Ireland Pension Board meetings listed below:
| Meeting | Date | Agenda and minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st meeting | 24 March 2015 | March 2015 |
| 2nd meeting | 5 May 2015 | May 2015 |
| 3rd meeting | 16 July 2015 | July 2015 |
| 4th meeting | 22 October 2015 | October 2015 |
| Meeting | Date | Agenda and minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 5th 6th and 7th meeting | 28 January, April and July 2016 | Agendas and minutes for 2016 |
| February 2017 | Agendas and minutes for 2017 | |
Northern Ireland Judicial Pension Scheme Advisory Board
The Northern Ireland Judicial Pension Scheme Advisory Board is to provide advice to the Department of Justice on the desirability of any changes to the NIJPS.
Membership
| Name | Role | Employment and job title (where relevant) | How appointed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jill Youds | Independent chair | Appointed by the Department of Justice | |
| Peter Luney | Employer representative | Acting Chief Executive, NI Courts and Tribunals Service | Appointed by the chair with the approval of the scheme manager |
| Employment Judge Neil Drennan QC |
Member representative |
Chairman of the Industrial Tribunals and the Fair Employment Tribunal | Appointed by the chair with the approval of the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland |
Advisory Board members' interests
Board meetings, agenda and minutes
| Meeting | Date | Agenda and minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st meeting | 24 March 2015 | March 2015 |
| 2nd meeting | 05 May 2015 | May 2015 |
| 3rd meeting | 16 July 2015 | July 2015 |
| 4th meeting | 22 Oct 2015 | October 2015 |
What we are doing
- Judicial Pension Scheme Information Notices
- HMRC annual allowance limit
- Communication to members
- Annual reports and accounts
- Consultation on new Northern Ireland judicial pension scheme
- Judicial pensions regulations NI 2015 transitional and consequential amendments
- Review of forfeiture provisions in the judicial judiciary in Northern Ireland
- Consultation on amendments to the Northern Ireland judicial pension scheme