A trustee complaint about the conduct of an occupational pension scheme's trustees has been upheld. To which body can the trustees appeal the decision?

• A. can appeal to the High Court.
• B. cannot appeal this decision.
• C. can appeal to the Pensions Authority.
• D. can appeal to the Central Bank.

Answer: (A)

When a complaint about trustees’ conduct is upheld by the pensions ombudsman, the next step is to challenge the decision in the High Court. The High Court handles appeals from ombudsman decisions, but typically only on a point of law (not a fresh re-hearing of facts). This court reviews whether the decision was legally sound, procedurally fair, or within the regulator’s powers. Regulatory bodies like the Pensions Authority or Central Bank aren’t appellate tribunals for ombudsman decisions, and there is a mechanism to appeal, so saying there is no appeal isn’t correct.