Judicial Pensions Act 1981

21 Meaning of "period of childhood and full-time education "

(1) A person shall be deemed for the purposes of section 20 above to be in his period of childhood and full-time education while either—

(a) he is under the age of sixteen, or

(b) he is receiving full-time instruction at any university, college, school or other educational establishment, or

(c) he is undergoing training by any person (hereinafter referred to as " the employer ") for any trade, profession or vocation in such circumstances that—

(i) he is required to devote the whole of his time to the training for a period of not less than two years, and

(ii) while he is undergoing the training, the emoluments receivable by him, or payable by the employer in respect of him, do not exceed £808 a year, exclusive of any emoluments receivable or payable by way of return of any premium paid in respect of the training.

(2) A person shall not be deemed for the purposes of this section to satisfy the conditions specified in paragraph (b) or the conditions specified in paragraph (c) of subsection (1) above, unless there has up till then been no time since he attained the age of sixteen when he did not satisfy one or other of those conditions.

(3) In subsection (1) above " emoluments " means any salary, fees, wages, perquisites or profits or gains whatsoever, and includes the value of free board, lodging or clothing, and, for the purposes of paragraph (c)(ii) of that subsection, where a premium has been paid in respect of the training of a person, all emoluments at any time receivable by him, or payable by the employer in respect of him, shall be deemed to be receivable or payable by way of return of the premium, unless and except to the extent that the amount thereof exceeds in the aggregate the amount of the premium.

(4) As respects any period during which neither of the conditions specified in paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) above is satisfied in relation to a person, the Minister may, if he thinks fit, and is satisfied that that person's full-time education ought not to be regarded as completed, direct either—

(a) that that period shall be ignored for the purposes of subsection (2) above, or

(b) that that period shall be so ignored and shall also be treated as part of his period of childhood and full-time education for all the other purposes of section 20 above.

(5) The Minister may by order vary the sum of £808 in subsection (1)(c)(ii) above. An order under this subsection shall be made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(6) An order under subsection (5) above—

(a) shall not authorise the payment, or increase, of any instalment of a pension in respect of a period falling before the date when the order takes effect, and

(b) if it increases or further increases the sum mentioned in subsection (1)(c)(ii) above, shall for the purposes of subsection (2) above apply to periods before the date when the order takes effect, as well as to later periods.