judicial pay; conspiracy theory

[Norman Bates]

Judges have the most important position of all in Irish society; it is to defend us from our elected representatives.
For that; they fully deserve to be paid well.

Most important, spoken like a true lawyer. And they are already paid well -- too well.

[Hewson]

I don't buy the 'threat to judicial independence' nonsense. Why is their independence of thinking and judgement tied to how much they're paid? If they have their pay cut by 30% are they 30% less efficient in their work? 30% less impartial? The notion that a government will 'threaten' them by waving the pay stick over their heads if they don't tow a particular line is the stuff of John Grisham novels.

The reality is that if they had agreed as a body to take some of the pain with the rest of society in their annual salary we mightn't be voting on the subject tomorrow.

It's only a few bottles of decent XO less every year for our learned colleagues.

[kkkkkkkkkk]

Judges have the most important position of all in Irish society; it is to defend us from our elected representatives.

For that; they fully deserve to be paid well.

and where on your class system or pecking order would you put

nurses in a childrens ward

or

teachers in a primary school

[kerdasi amaq]

Well when they start doing their job, we'll pay them lots, how's that?

Most important, spoken like a true lawyer. And they are already paid well -- too well.

Ye wouldn't be members of the Kildare Street Clown Gang, by any chance?

[ocoonassa]

I don't buy the 'threat to judicial independence' nonsense. Why is their independence of thinking and judgement tied to how much they're paid?

In one word. Bribery.

[Norman Bates]

Ye wouldn't be members of the Kildare Street Clown Gang, by any chance?

Not at all. Do you really believe that we pay our judges peanuts? Anything over €100k a year is not peanuts in my book, at least not when I compare it with my P60.

[Preserved Killick]

Ms Bacik said that despite being a member of the legal profession she supported the proposal because it involved a rebalancing of power away from the judiciary and towards elected representatives.

good woman Ms Bacik

backbone, we like that

SENATOR Bacik

[kerdasi amaq]

Not at all. Do you really believe that we pay our judges peanuts? Anything over €100k a year is not peanuts in my book, at least not when I compare it with my P60.

Judges are poorly paid compared to bankers.

[Lionel Hutz]

It's a shame that Irish people have become so careless with their democracy. Whilst the abbeylara referendum was defeated, it was really only because of fears of intrusion to the individual. The public do not care about the wider implications for society of eroding independence of the Judiciary. I was speaking to a family member of mine, a doctor, who said to me that he blow the whistle on some of implications of changes to practices in his hospital but for the fact that he has a mortgage to pay. It's naive to think that Judges wouldn't have similar fears. In all areas of public service, there is a fear of upsetting the applecart and those who tow the line are rewarded with bonuses and management positions etc etc.

Judge's are effectively professional whistleblowers. Their pay and indeed their promotions should be entirely independent form the state. As you'll guess I'm a lawyer. I am seen many a decision go in favour of the politically best option - when there is a doubt, the state gets the benefit of it. That's going to egt worse IMO.

It was unsavourary that the Judges didn't all take a cut, most of them did, but this amendment goes way too far.