UK | It is legal for companies to force retirement if in ‘public interest’

Companies could, for example, say they needed to dismiss older workers at 65 to make way for more entry-level jobs and younger staff climbing the career ladder, the long-awaited judgment signalled.

It is the first time the “public interest” defence has been applied to age discrimination law, legal experts said, adding that the case gave the green light to employers to bring back a mandatory retirement age just months after the Government made the practice unlawful.

The judgment said where the reasons for retiring someone met “public policy” objectives it was acceptable to force someone to leave the business.

The court said it was acceptable for a City law firm to force its partner, Leslie Seldon, to retire when he turned 65, after the company claimed the move was “legitimate and justifiable”.

The firm involved, Clarkson, Wright & Jakes, said retiring all partners at 65 was acceptable as it allowed associates to move up the ranks to partnership and gave the workforce reasonable expectations on when senior vacancies would arise.

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