‘Overwork’ hitting morale of judges says retiring chief

Judges are no longer confined to presiding over trials and are now directly involved in administrative duties, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Lord Judge said in his final report before retirement.

This additional commitment comes without extra pay which, along with worse conditions and pension terms, has “reduced morale”.

In the foreword, Lord Judge, who retires at the end of September, points to a Senior Salaries Review Body study that said circuit judges’ take-home pay has fallen by 15.9 per cent, or by 18.4 per cent for those sitting in the Court of Appeal.

“The responsibility of many judges is no longer confined to 
presiding over trials and hearings and reaching conclusions on the 
issues before them but, in addition to their commitment sitting in court, they are directly involved and lead on what are sometimes described as administrative duties,” he said.

“This level of commitment comes without any additional remuneration, and indeed 
the expansion of the responsibilities now placed on the judiciary, allied to less attractive terms and conditions and pension arrangements as the Senior Salaries Review Body made clear, has resulted in reduced morale.”

Recommending a rise of one per cent in judicial salaries from April, the review body said it is more concerned about the impact of the Government’s pay policies 
on the judiciary than on senior civil servants and the Armed Forces.

It would be “unwise” to ignore the body and its recommendations, Lord Judge said.

Judges in England and Wales are in the midst of a three-year pay freeze, while their pension benefits are set to be slashed by up to a third.

There has been speculation that the severity of the cuts could prompt members of the bench
to launch a legal challenge.

Lord Judge’s comments are the latest sign of tension between the legal establishment and the Government.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has faced severe opposition to his plans for legal aid reform.

Earlier this year the country’s most senior judges collectively warned Mr Grayling that the overhaul may lead to a significant number of people not being represented in court by a solicitor or barrister.

The Judicial Executive Board, which includes Lord Judge, said an increase in unrepresented people would add to the length and costs of cases.