All Judicial Officers could receive lifetime salaries if a proposal in the proposed Administration of Judiciary Bill 2016 is passed. The proposal is part of an amendment that will be debated in Cabinet on Wednesday.
If approved, all judicial officers will still receive the same salary in retirement as when they were still in active service. State Minister for Constitutional Affairs Mwesigwa Rukutana confirmed the development to NTV and said the move will help Judges live a decent life even in retirement.
The first draft of the Administration of Judiciary bill came out in 2012 and was considered by cabinet in 2013 but the Bill was deferred for further discussion pending the amendment of some provisions of the Constitution. NTV has learnt that on 2nd September 2015, the Chief Justice Bart Katureebe led a delegation of Judges to meet President Yoweri Museveni at State House. Part of the meeting was to agree on the plight of serving and retired Judges. A proposal from the Judges was that they should be receive 85% of their basic salary when they retire.
However, the President Museveni is reported to have preferred that the Judges get 100% of their basic salary. The reason, the President argued then, was to allow Judges have a decent life after retirement.
According to Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana, judicial officers are prohibite from engaging in other businesses while they are still in service, which denies them an opportunity to supplement their incomes and invest in projects that can earn them the kind of money they can live on in retirement. Rukutana adds that since the judicial officers are denied the same chance to supplement their incomes during their active years, it is only fair that they are ably compensated for these foregone incomes when they retire.
Currently the salary structure for judicial officers is that the Chief Justice is paid Shs20M , the Deputy Chief Justice earns Shs18M , a Principal Judge Shs10M, Judges of the Supreme Court Shs9M and Judges of the Court of Appeal earn Shs9M . At the lower end, Chief Magistrates are paid Shs2.8M and Grade II Magistrate earns only Shs700,000.
If the Administration of the Judiciary bill 2016 is passed by parliament in its current form, all these officials will maintain the same salary for life. Whereas retiring Judges have been given car and house allowances in the past, this provision was not in any law. This Bill seeks to operationalize this. NTV has further learnt that the government has increased allocations for housing allowances and other benefits. A one off housing allowance for the Chief Justice has been increased by Shs20M from Shs380M to Shs400M . The Chief Justice will also be entitled to a Shs200M allowance for a chauffeured car.
Other perks include 1st class air travel, security worth Shs15M annually, health insurance equivalent to what the person was receiving.
The Deputy Chief Justice on the other hand will receive a fully furnished house and a one off payment to the tune of Shs380M. The Principle Judge and other Senior Justices are to receive a one off Shs300M in housing and other benefits.
The perks will also apply to judicial officers who retired before the bill if passed in law comes into effect.
Former Supreme Court Justice, Prof. George William Kanyeihamba who chaired the Committee on Terms and Conditions of Judges, says its long overdue but he has reservations about its timing. Kanyeihamba says that the passing the proposals at this time, when there is likely to be a constitutional amendment removing the presidential age limit, might be perceived as a form of bribery to win the favour of the judiciary.
Dr. Gerald Karyeija, the Dean of the School of Management Science at Uganda Management Institute, Gerald Karyeija says the proposal is good but is not standardised to cater for all Public servants.