How your pension works - Provincial Judges Pension Plan

Welcome to the Provincial Judges Pension Plan (PJPP)!

The PJPP is a contributory defined benefit pension plan, which will provide you with a lifetime pension based on your service as a full-time provincial judge.

The amount of your pension will depend on:

when you were appointed
your age and service at retirement, and
your salary (based on the highest judicial rank you attain)

Note: "Retirement" means you are eligible to receive a pension because you either cease to hold office or begin serving on a part time basis.

Your pension is part of your judicial compensation package, which is reviewed every four years. In keeping with the independence of the judiciary, the review is conducted by an independent, three-member commission.

The commission – known as the Provincial Judges Remuneration Commission – was established under the Courts of Justice Act. The commission’s recommendations on salaries and benefits are binding; its pension recommendations are non-binding.

Pension entitlements are determined in accordance with the plan text. The provisions of the current PJPP are found in O. Reg. 290/13.

The PJPP is comprised of a Registered Pension Plan (RPP), a Retirement Compensation Arrangement (RCA), and a Supplemental Pension Plan (SUP). The RPP component of the PJPP is registered under the Income Tax Act (registration number 0926915) but is exempt from Ontario’s Pension Benefits Act.

Joining the plan

Membership in the PJPP is mandatory. Therefore, you will join the plan once you are appointed as a full-time judge. If you have service in another pension plan when you join the PJPP, you will not be able to transfer that service into the PJPP, as only service as a provincial judge can be credited in the Plan. Moreover, the PJPP does not provide for the purchase of past service.