In a significant legal development, the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago has authorized retired city assessor Heidi Henry to pursue judicial review proceedings against the San Fernando City Corporation over its failure to properly calculate her pension and gratuity entitlements.
Justice Frank Seepersad granted leave for Henry to challenge what her legal team characterizes as the corporation’s unlawful disregard of a 2020 High Court ruling that established her right to equal treatment with her counterpart at the Port of Spain City Corporation. The court had previously determined she should receive pension and gratuity calculations based on salary range 59D.
The controversy stems from the corporation’s alleged failure to implement Justice Kevin Ramcharan’s April 2020 decision, which found Henry’s right to equality of treatment by a public authority had been violated. Despite this judicial mandate, the corporation reportedly calculated her benefits at the lower salary range 41E.
Henry, who dedicated 39 years of service to the corporation before retiring in June 2023, asserts that the organization was fully aware of its obligations long before her retirement. Upon leaving her position, she received only a reduced interim pension of $3,500 without her gratuity payment.
Legal correspondence from March 2024 indicated the corporation was quantifying and auditing her benefits, but subsequent communications revealed the maintained position of calculating at the lower salary range. Henry’s legal representatives argue this constitutes a direct violation of court orders and breaches principles of procedural fairness.
The case, which will next be heard on February 9, 2026, seeks orders compelling the corporation to recalculate and pay all owed amounts according to the correct salary classification. Attorneys Kingsley Walesby and Sunil Gopaul Gosine are representing Henry in this matter that highlights ongoing challenges in public sector pension administration.