The Judicial Pensions Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”) make provision for the contributions payable by members of the scheme constituted by the 2015 Regulations.

These Regulations provide that the contribution rates currently applicable for the scheme are to continue to apply from 1st April 2020 onwards. New earning thresholds (except for £150,001 and above) are set for those contribution rates from 1st April 2020 in line with the increase of the consumer prices index in September 2019 published by the Statistics Board. Those earning thresholds (except for £150,001 and above) will continue to uprate in April each year in line with increases in the consumer prices index of the previous September.

Since these Regulations involve a change to a protected element of the scheme constituted by the 2015 Regulations, the Department of Justice has consulted such persons and representatives of such persons as appear to it likely to be affected by the change with a view to reaching agreement with them and has laid a report before the Assembly as required by section 22 of the Public Service Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2014. In accordance with section 24(1) of that Act, the pension board for the scheme constituted by the 2015 Regulations has stated that it considers these Regulations to be minor or wholly beneficial.

The executive function of the Statistics Board is known at the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the monthly all items consumer prices index is available on its website at www.ons.gov.uk. The contact details for the ONS are as follows, address: Government Buildings, Cardiff Road, Newport, South Wales, NP10 8XG and telephone number: 0845 601 3034.

An equality impact screening and a rural needs impact assessment have been produced for this statutory rule and are available at https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-member-contributions-2020-onwards.