Age Discrimination: Staying Compulsory Retirement Cases

The Court of Appeal has published its reasons in Johns v Solent (the decision was announced about a month ago, but the transcript has only just become available).

The Court of Appeal confirmed that cases which raise the same issue as the Heyday case in the ECJ should be stayed (not struck out). In other words, where a Claimant brings a claim of age discrimination in respect of a retirement dismissal at age 65, the case should be stayed notwithstanding that regulation 30 of the Age Regulations appears to make such a claim impossible.

In the Heyday appeal, Age Concern is challenging the legitimacy of regulation 30, arguing that it is prima facie incompatible with the Equal Treatment Framework Directive. If it is found to be prima facie incompatible, the government will need to objectively justify a mandatory retirement age of 65.

Meanwhile, the President of Employment Tribunals will need to review the Practice Direction issued last year - but there is unlikely to be any change.