PNP Calls for Salary Increase for Parish Court Judges

The Opposition is calling on the government to increase the salary package for the nation’s parish court judges.

To achieve this goal the PNP wants the government to de-link the salaries of parish court judges from the Civil Service establishment and align them with that of the Judiciary.

According to the Opposition Spokesperson on Justice Senator Donna Scott-Mottley, by re-aligning the salaries of parish court judges and providing the necessary protections, the government will demonstrate that it is serious about judicial independence and ensuring the continued high performance and integrity of the justice system.

Her call follows reports from both the Chief Justice Bryan Sykes and Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck of the remarkable progress being made by the parish court in clearing the backlog of cases.

Senator Scott-Mottley noted that the current backlog of cases in the parish court stands at an impressive 2.5 per cent, below the international standard of 5 per cent.

She said this achievement is particularly noteworthy given that many courts in the region have not reached such levels of efficiency.

Senator Scott-Mottley says the lack of security of tenure, inadequate financial remuneration, and the absence of institutional administrative independence are undermining the ability of judges to effectively deliver justice.