Many eyebrows were raised today when a Ministry of Finance circular dated yesterday was leaked. It shows the salary increase for the new Chief Justice Louise Blenman. It's gone up to 240 grand a year, just short of a quarter mil.
It also shows the revised salary for the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Minette Hafiz, which is now 200 thousand dollars annually.
And, Justices of Appeal will also get a raise to 180 thousand dollars a year - even though that court only meets for a few weeks three times per year in March, June and October.
Historically, the salaries of High Court judges have been tax free.
In the context of recent agitation by the PSU and the BNTU to have their increments restored, these hefty salaries - which are the highest in all the public service - have struck a sour note with many.
But, the Attorney General Magali Marin says it's justified and overdue. In a statement she notes that "The salaries for judges have not been increased for over a decade. When the wider public service's salaries were increased in 2015 to 2017, the salaries for judges were excluded…Unlike the wider public service, judges currently do not enjoy a pension…Prior to this increase, Belize was one of the lowest paying jurisdictions in the region…and we have been unable to attract good candidates, and have lost some good judges to better paying jurisdictions. The increase was therefore necessary for us to recruit competent persons to sit in the High Court and the Court of Appeal."
Notably, last month, the annual salary for Supreme Court judges was also increased to 175 thousand dollars.
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