MARGIBI COUNTY – The Resident Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Margibi County, Mardea Tarr-Chenoweth, has decried that the government’s salary harmonization program is depressing Judges and magistrates and undermining the effectiveness of the Judiciary. Judge Chenoweth recounted that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the National Legislature reasoned in pursuant of An Act to Establish the National Remuneration Standardization of 2019 that Judges’ salaries must be cut because the government was spending beyond its wage bill. Such salaries shall be subject to taxes as defined by Law, provided that they shall not otherwise be diminished. “The unfair and non-equitable nature of the Standardization Act has subjected judges to dire economic constraints, with its attendant consequences, such as less motivated and less effective judges and magistrates” Judge Tarr-Chenoweth lamented. She, however, called on the Executive to rethink its approach towards judges with respect to the salary harmonization and return to status quo ante.

Source: Front Page Africa February 11, 2020 00:56 UTC