Senator Donna Scott-Mottley calls for review of compensation for Parish Court Judges
/ Our Today
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Opposition spokesperson on Justice, Senator Donna Scott-Mottley, is calling on the government to review the categorisation of judicial officers to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all judges.
Scott-Mottley, in a statement on Sunday, June 2, said Parish Court judges continue to express concerns that their current compensation does not reflect the significance of their role or the demands placed upon them.
The opposition spokeswoman highlighted that parish court judges are the face of justice in Jamaica, handling approximately 90 per cent of cases and interacting with a broad cross-section of the population.
She noted that the current backlog of cases in the Parish Court stands at an impressive 2.5 per cent, well below the international standard of 2.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
She added that this achievement is particularly noteworthy given that many courts in the region have not reached such levels of efficiency.
However, Scott-Mottley said the lack of security of tenure, inadequate financial remuneration, and the absence of institutional administrative independence are undermining their ability to effectively deliver justice.
“Parish Court judges should be fully integrated into the judiciary, with constitutional protection and adequate remuneration. All judicial officers should be treated as one, and therefore, their remuneration should be considered at the same time by one commission,” said Scott-Mottley.
She added, “When their title changed from Resident Magistrate to Parish Court Judge, it was anticipated that this would come with enhanced security of tenure, financial independence, and institutional administrative independence.”
The opposition is now calling on the government to delink the salaries of parish court judges from the civil service establishment and align them with those of the judiciary.
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