In the coming weeks the British Military Pensioners’ Association will be presenting a judicial protest against the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry and the Social Security Director, claiming that the deprivation of their military pension is in breach of their fundamental human rights, as laid in the European Human Rights Convention.

A draft of the judicial protest was presented to the members of the association yesterday during an extraordinary meeting in which some 200 ex-

servicemen took part. More will be added to the protest, the association’s Lawyer Edward Zammit Lewis told The Malta Independent, but the main thrust of the protest will remain.

Ex-servicemen are being deprived of their military pension simply because there is a two-thirds pension clause that stipulates a ceiling for pension entitlement. However these men have paid their contribution both for their military service years pension and for their employment within the Maltese economy, Dr Zammit Lewis explained.

The action has united the various associations that represent the ex-servicemen. In fact the association originally only included Navy officers. Yesterday’s meeting included representatives from Royal Air-force (RAF) and army veteran associations. The protest will be signed by the members of these associations and the final figure may total 400.

Representatives from the RAF veteran association met Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina, some four weeks ago, a spokesman said. He said that nothing had come out of the meeting since the minister needed more time to gather the necessary information on the issue, as she did not know the details of the case.

“The present minister may have only taken office recently but we have been presenting our case with her predecessors for the past 25 years – it’s time they take heed of our plea,” he said.

“We have given our contribution to the military and have paid the local insurance contribution – we should not be deprived of our dues now,” an ex-navy serviceman said. “I have paid 40 years’ worth of taxes to the Maltese government after I retired from the navy,” he said. “It’s unjust that I am deprived of my military pension now.”