Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

High Court approves complex pension rectification settlement; guidance on probability-based compromises, historic deed defects and PSA 1993 s 37 in Places for People EWHC 3371 (Ch), England and Wales

Published on: 12 January 2026

Published by a LexisNexis Pensions expert

Legal News

Article summary

Places for People Pension Trustee Ltd v Places for People Group Ltd and others [2025] EWHC 3371 (Ch) What are the practical implications of this case?

Richards J applied the settled principles of rectification in the pensions sphere. The judgment demonstrates that correction of deeds executed many decades ago remains achievable, notwithstanding a scarcity of witness evidence. Although the absence of opposition to rectification is neither required nor decisive, the court was comforted by a robust and methodical process that evaluated the factual matrix and the legal foundation of the claim. As with any approval of a compromise, the outcome here was fact-specific and creates no binding precedent. Nevertheless, practitioners are aided by the court’s guidance on the approach to be adopted when deciding whether a proposed settlement is in the interests of all represented persons. It is also both reassuring and notable for practitioners that Richards J was willing to sit in private for substantial portions of the hearing. This decision therefore confirms the court’s readiness to apply settled rectification law to pension schemes in a measured and practical manner. It also underlines that preparation and careful consideration of the factual and legal basis can justify rectification despite sparse witness...

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