High Court Upholds TelPosta Pension Scheme in 15-Year Benefits Dispute

The High Court has dismissed two Judicial Review applications challenging the TelPosta Pension Scheme’s administration of members’ retirement benefits, upholding an earlier decision by the Retirement Benefits Appeals Tribunal (RBAT) that found the benefits had been calculated in accordance with the law.

In a statement released on July 28, the Scheme’s Board of Trustees welcomed the judgments, saying they reinforce confidence in the Scheme’s governance and provide greater legal certainty after more than 15 years of regulatory and judicial scrutiny.

“Subsequently, two Judicial Review applications were filed by the dissatisfied members seeking to quash the Tribunal’s decision. The High Court has now dismissed both applications, thereby affirming the Tribunal’s findings,” read part of the statement.

High Court Dismisses Cases Challenging TelPosta Pension Scheme

According to the Telposta Trustees, the High Court held that the Retirement Benefits Appeals Tribunal conducted a comprehensive hearing, taking into account witness testimony, documentary evidence and independent actuarial expert analysis before reaching its conclusion.

It also found that the Tribunal’s October 2025 judgment correctly applied the law governing the computation of retirement benefits.

Further, the court ruled that the applicants had failed to establish procedural impropriety, illegality, irrationality or any other recognized grounds that would justify intervention through judicial review.

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The Scheme added that the court determined the applications were effectively appeals presented as judicial review proceedings and therefore could not be used to revisit issues already determined by the Tribunal.

“The applications were, in substance, appeals disguised as judicial review proceedings. The Court held that it could not revisit issues already determined by the Tribunal,” Telposta stated.

How the 15-Year Pension Dispute Started

The dispute dates back to 2011 when a group of former members lodged a complaint with the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA), claiming their retirement benefits had been incorrectly calculated.

In October 2012, the RBA concluded that the benefits had been correctly computed.

However, the complainants appealed that decision to the Retirement Benefits Appeals Tribunal, which ruled in their favour in 2017.

As a result, the Telposta Board of Trustees subsequently appealed the Tribunal’s decision to the High Court and later to the Court of Appeal.

In December 2024, the Court of Appeal set aside the earlier decisions and directed that the matter be reheard before the Tribunal.

Following the Court of Appeal’s directive, the Tribunal reconsidered documentary evidence, witness testimony and independent actuarial expert evidence before delivering a fresh judgment on October 2, 2025, reaffirming that the retirement benefits had been correctly calculated.

However, the dissatisfied members then filed two Judicial Review applications seeking to quash the Tribunal’s decision, both of which have now been dismissed by the High Court.

Board Says Ruling Reinforces Confidence in Scheme

The Board of Trustees said the judgments provide greater legal certainty following years of regulatory and judicial scrutiny.

“We welcome the High Court’s judgments, which bring further legal clarity and reinforce confidence in the governance and administration of the TelPosta Pension Scheme,” Board Chairman J. Cheptiony said.

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“For more than a decade, this matter has undergone extensive scrutiny before the Retirement Benefits Authority, the Retirement Benefits Appeals Tribunal, the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Throughout this process, the Trustees have remained committed to respecting the judicial process while faithfully discharging our fiduciary responsibility to protect the interests of all members and beneficiaries,” he added.

The Trustees said the court’s decisions reaffirm that the Scheme has administered retirement benefits fairly, transparently and in accordance with the law.

They also reiterated their commitment to protecting members’ retirement savings through prudent financial management, sound governance, transparency and accountability while ensuring the Scheme’s long-term sustainability.

The Board thanked members and other stakeholders for their patience and continued confidence throughout the lengthy legal proceedings.

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A photo showing statement of Telposta on the high court ruling on pension scheme case. Photo / File