Sixteen judges have ruled, in clear contravention of law, that taxpayers have no right to see the names of former public servants who receive pension payments. And they want New Yorkers to raise the mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 80?

On Thursday, five Manhattan Appellate Division justices became the latest to demonstrate that, where pensions are concerned, they are wholly unable to understand the plain meaning of a statute and ruling by the state’s highest court. Say, won’t they get a pension one day? Maybe they’re deliberately being obtuse.

The Empire Center, an Albany watchdog group, sought to put pension data on its website, SeeThroughNY.net. This would be a great service. The public could see who’s getting paid what — and, not incidentally, keep an eye out for fraudsters who go out on disability and then find the capacity to compete in the race up the Empire State Building stairs.

Although taxpayers must have an absolute right to inspect public disbursement, unions objected and judges concocted a variety of evasions of the Freedom of Information Law.

To the rescue must ride the Court of Appeals, which has issued ringing declarations of the public’s right to government information. Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman and his colleagues have a fresh opportunity to stand tall on that score.

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