By Aaron Humes: On behalf of Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre, a Bill for an Act to provide for the salaries, pensions, and other conditions of service of Judges of the High Court of Judicature and the Court of Appeal was presented in the House of Representatives last Thursday.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education Francis Fonseca stated that this initiative follows the Government’s efforts to strengthen, modernize, and enhance the efficiency of the Judiciary.
Judges and senior judicial officers are paid through the Consolidated Revenue Fund as guaranteed by the Constitution. Still, Fonseca noted that the same cannot be said for pensions: “Under the Pensions Act, judges of the Court of Appeal and the High Court fall into the category of what they call ‘other Public Service’ and as things stand currently, there is no law or regulation in force in respect of their service, and as such they are not considered pensionable officers under the Pensions Act. In the absence of legislation [that] governs their service, judges are employed on contract and are paid an annual gratuity under contract.”
Fonseca cited the Bar Association’s case against the Government before the Caribbean Court of Justice, in which the highest regional court reiterated the importance of security of tenure and proper remuneration for jurists, which avoids them per judicial scholar Francis Alexis having to return to practice at the Bar and maintains their independence from the other arms of Government.
Accompanying regulations will be made under the law by the Governor-General, who appoints judges of the courts by recommendation of the Legislature (Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition).
Currently, as of 2023, the base salary for judges is $175,000 per annum, tax-free, as agreed by the Government.
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By Aaron Humes: On behalf of Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre, a Bill for an Act to provide for the salaries, pensions, and other conditions of service of Judges of the High Court of Judicature and the Court of Appeal was presented in the House of Representatives last Thursday. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education Francis
The post Judges’ salaries and pensions to be enshrined in law appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
