Salaries Of Judges Same As In 1832

Chronicle (Levin), 7 May 1949, Page 7

Salaries Of Judges Same As In 1832

V- — — IjONDON, May 5. Mr. Glenvil Hall," Financial Secretary to tlie Treasury, said in the Commons that the Government proposed shortly to introduce legislation to enable the salaries of High Court Judges to be increased. The salaries of British High Court Judges are still the same as they Were when they were originally fixed in 1832 when there was no income tax. They were then fixed at £5000 yearly for 33 High Court Judges, £8000 yearly for the Lord Chief Justice and £6000 yearly for the Master of the Rolls. The Lords of Appeal in Ordinary received £6000 and the Lords Justices of Appeal £5000. When these salaries were originally established it was considered they were sufficiently high to put all Judges beyond the reach of financial temptation. To-day, however, a High Court Judge's salary of £5000 yearly is reduced by taxation to £2554. That sum, it is considered, is approximately equal to £500 yearly in 1832. In order to receive a nett £5000 yearly to-day, a Judge would have to be paid £25,000. The Attorney General, Sir Hartley Shawcross, addressing a gathering of lawyers in London last week, said: "Judges' salaries are out of all proportion to those that may be earned by successful men in commerce and | the professions and ill reflect the I great importance of a Judge's office.'.'