Taxing judges’ pensions bad for independence, women

A former Federal Court chief justice has warned Labor’s plan to include judicial pensions in its tax increases for high balance superannuation funds could breach the constitution and stymie efforts to improve diversity on the bench.

Michael Black, KC, also warned the Senate there was “no doubt” there would be a constitutional legal challenge to the tax change, creating a “frightening” situation where High Court judges had to decide a case directly linked to their own finances.