Mitch Frazer: RCMP Pension Decision Sets "Precedent That is Not Helpful"

Partner Mitch Frazer spoke with Benefits Canada about the Federal Court of Appeal decision restricting female RCMP officers from buying back into their pension plans after moving to part-time roles to raise their families, saying it perpetuates an unhelpful precedent.

The case was brought forward by three former RCMP officers who claimed the existing policy offended their equality rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“The ruling minimizes the parenting role and clearly makes it more challenging for women to work part time and create a work-life balance,” Mitch comments.

In terms of the broader legal context, Mitch remarks that “Although it’s hard to argue with the legal rationale behind it, the ruling is a stricter interpretation of equality rights than other appellate courts might impose.”

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