Lawyer loses retirement case

Leslie Seldon, a former partner of Clarkson Wright and Jakes solicitors, has lost a discrimination case at the Court of Appeal with regards to the fact he was forced to retire at 65. It would appear that under the terms of this partnership agreement he was forced to retire from the company which he believed was a case of discrimination.

However, the Court of Appeal has this week upheld the original ruling which confirmed that the retirement age clause in the partnership contract was in line with the UK government's social policy and therefore could not be deemed to be illegal. The appeal had been delayed due to the fact the UK government is currently reviewing retirement age in the UK although it would appear that this particular move has come too late for Leslie Seldon.

There is no doubt that changes in the UK retirement age will be forthcoming and there is also no doubt that we will see a number of legal challenges in the short to medium term. The truth is that the retirement age does assist younger workers in the UK, who have more opportunities for promotion and indeed initial employment, but the downside is that potentially very useful and experienced workers are cast aside. Finding a balance between this, as well as the financial aspects of retirement, is near impossible.