The Correction Direction issued by the Minister for Law yesterday (29 May) brought to the fore the issue of how judges are being remunerated.
Under Section 2(2) of the Judges’ Remuneration Act 1994, a Judge of the Supreme Court can receive additional pensionable and non-pensionable allowances and privileges as the Minister may determine, in addition to their annual pensionable salary, which is fixed by law.
In response to a Parliamentary Question by my colleague, Hazel Poa Koon Koon 潘群勤 in January 2023, Minister Chan Chun Sing stated that a Supreme Court judge’s total salary package consists of a gross monthly salary, Annual Variable Component (AVC), Non-Pensionable Annual Allowance (NPAA), Performance Bonus (PB), National Bonus (NB), and Judiciary Allowance. However, he did not provide details of how these components are actually determined.
Given that the total salary packages of the judges are likely to be much more than the $234,000 to $347,000 in annual pensionable salary (gross monthly salary plus AVS) stipulated under the Act, the Government should explain how the other components are actually determined.
Unfortunately the Correction Direction also did not provide any clarity on this.
In the interest of transparency, accountability and fairness, we urge the government to give further clarification on this matter.
For Country For People
