THE MINISTER for Public Expenditure has published the legislation providing for the reduction in pay of serving judges. This follows the passing of the constitutional amendment on judges’ pay.
It is expected the legislation will be passed in the coming weeks and be in force by January.
Judges appointed after the enactment of the legislation will be paid less than serving judges. They will also have different pension arrangements, following the enactment of legislation establishing a single pension scheme, which is going through the Oireachtas.
This is in line with other public servants, where new entrants to the public service, appointed after January 2010, are paid 10 per cent less than those already in office and are subject to a new pension scheme.
This means the five judges appointed by the Government in recent weeks will be paid at the old higher rate and have pensions paid under the old regime. Judges are eligible for pensions after 15 years’ service.
The legislation also provides that new judges will not automatically be provided with an usher or crier. These assistants were provided to Supreme, High and Circuit Court judges and performed a number of functions, including liaising between judges and lawyers, and court administration.
Instead, following consultation with the judiciary and the Courts Service, alternative support posts will be provided, according to Brendan Howlin, most likely in the form of additional judicial researchers.
This measure will follow the enactment of the Bill, so does not apply to those among the recently appointed judges.
The pay of new judges, net of pension deductions, will range from €204,657 for a chief justice to €111,698 for a District Court judge. A High Court judge appointed after January 2012 will be paid €168,481 after the pension reduction is made and a Circuit Court judge will be paid €127,908.
Serving judges will be paid between €227,168 for the Chief Justice and €123,881 for a District Court judge, after the pension reduction, following the enactment of the legislation.
A serving High Court judge will be paid €186,973, while a judge of the Circuit Court will be paid €141,892 in 2012.
Mr Howlin said the Bill would also contain provisions to place on a statutory footing the pay cuts the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and other members of the Government took voluntarily on assuming office.