Remuneration increase

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A decision made (14/05/2007) regarding: Remuneration increase - Judges.

Subject:	Remuneration increase - Judges
Decision Reference:	MD-TR-2007-0051	Exempt clause(s):		N/A
Type of Report: (oral or written)	Written	Person Giving Report (if oral):		N/A
Telephone or e-mail Meeting?	N/A	Report File ref:		JPD/5/05/05/07
Written Report – Title	Remuneration Increase - Judges	Written report - author		James Dixon – Finance Director – Treasury and Resources Dept
Decision(s): The Minister approved increases to the fees payable to Royal Court Commissioners and Ordinary Judges of Appeal by 2.6% (from £736 to £755 per day) in accordance with the requirements of the Court of Appeal (Jersey) Law 1991 and the Royal Court (Jersey) Law 1991.
Reason(s) for decision: To maintain parity with comparable UK appointments.
Action required The Director of Finance will request the Law Drafting Department to draft the necessary Orders to enable the increases to be paid.
Signature: (Minister / Assistant Minister)			Date of Decision: 14 May 2007

Remuneration increase - Judges.

TREASURY AND RESOURCES MINISTER

REMUNERATION increase – JUDGES

1. Purpose of Report

1.1. The Minister is asked to consider increases in the daily rates paid to:

a. Ordinary Judges of the Court of Appeal; and

b. Royal Court Commissioners.

1.2. That the Law Draftsman be requested to draft the necessary Orders to enable the increases to be paid.

2. Background

2.1. The fees payable to the above are maintained inline with comparable UK appointments.

2.2. The fees payable to UK Deputy High Court Judges have increased from £736 to £748 per day (an increase of 1%) with effect from 1st April 2007 and will further increase to £755 per day from 1st November 2007 (an increase of 0.94%).

2.3. The Bailiff has requested that the daily fees paid to Ordinary Judges of the Court of Appeal and Royal Court Commissioners be increased in line with the remuneration paid in the UK.

2.4. The Court of Appeal (Jersey) Law 1991 and the Royal Court (Jersey) Law 1991 provide for the Minister of Treasury and Resources to make the necessary Orders to increase the fees payable to the above groups.

2.5. The above fees were increased by similar amounts last year with the Ministers approval.

3. Comments

3.1 The increase in the RPI (x) for the period April 2006 to end of March 2007 is 4.4%. The total of these increases are below RPI but above the target inflation rate of 2.5%.

3.2 It is estimated that the annual additional cost of increasing the rates as shown in the above table would be £5,000 and this would be met from within the Court and Case costs votes.

4. Recommendation

4.1. That the Minister approves the increases in the daily payments to Ordinary Court Judges of the Court of Appeal and Royal Court Commissioners as indicated above and request that the necessary Orders be prepared for onward submission to the States.

5. Reason for Decision

5.1. To maintain parity with comparable UK appointments.