CONSORTIUM
World Wide Consortium takes our case
to Europe
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CONSORTIUM |
Significant news
BAPA has teamed-up with all the world expatriate pensioner associations with the objective of the final extinction of the frozen pension regime. The group, led by the Canadian Alliance, comprises:
The Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners
The British
Pensioners' Association - Western Canada
The South African Alliance of British
Pensioners
The British
Australian Pensioner Association
British
Pensions in Australia
The methods used will be a combination of new litigation before the European Court of Human Rights, buttressed by continuing legal research, political lobbying & impacting on public opinion in the UK.
The litigation team is being led by the Canadian Alliance, who have retained the services of Phil Tunley of McCarthy Tétrault, (Toronto and London). The Barrister is Tim Otty of Essex Chambers in London, who has extensive experience in the field of Human Rights before the European Court. Whilst Phil Tunley is acting pro bono, Tim Otty will need to be paid for his services. It is inevitable that taking the case to culmination will incur considerable expense which will have to be met. However we are reliably informed that, whatever the outcome, the British Government costs in opposing the case cannot be awarded against the Consortium.
With regard to the legal funding, it is not our intention to change our role by undertaking intensive recruiting and fund-raising. In our case, both functions will continue to be carried out through our existing membership. In addition to making financial contributions our major role will, as previously, be in the fields of research and lobbying with which we have year-by-year steadily advanced the cause.
Our research team is already working on the court papers supplied to us, including witness statements and the arguments advanced by the 12 named pensioner applicants who will be the principal complainants to the European Court. We are also scrutinising the British Government's response. Early in July the Consortium's Barrister will be required to file the response of the applicants to the Government's justifications for their stance.
In our next newsletter we will include, as usual, a form for enrolment of new members and provision for further contributions by existing members in the light of this new move forward. Be sure to name these as "contributions" in your tax returns in order to attract a tax deduction. (See Tax deductibility)
Where individual members or groups of members wish to do more active recruiting or fund raising toward reaching our goal in these new circumstances, please let us know what kind of support and facilities you may need. Now that we have finally completed taking the case for parity through the whole of the British legal system, a requirement imposed on us by Britain before we could approach Europe, it is possible that some of you, our members, with friends or past associates in high places might be able to encourage financial sponsorship for our cause.
We know you will all share the re-invigoration this new move gives us - the end is
within our reach.