The retirement benefits and pension scheme for Judges of the National and Supreme Court will be improved to give judges a decent retirement after life on the bench.
Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Pila Niningi in a statement made this announcement saying the current pension scheme under the Judges Pension Act 1997 is inadequate.
“We will amend the Income Tax Act to have the judges exempted from paying personal tax on their pension. We will also be considering some other fringe benefits as well for judges on retirement.
“Currently, only Members of Parliament are exempted from paying tax on their pension upon retirement, I would like to see the same for the judges as well.
“This is one of the new initiatives undertaken by the Marape/Rosso government to modernize the judiciary and our court system to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
“This will further complement the newly approved three-tier court system I announced recently. I would like to see all these changes taking place within this term of Parliament,” said Minister Niningi.
Amongst the imperatives to improve capacity and performance, the government has recently approved increasing the ceiling of judges from 40 to 60.
The annual budgetary appropriations to the judiciary have also increased in recent years.
Minister Niningi said the government believes that maintenance of the rule of law by a vibrant and independent judiciary is vital for growth and development.
“A strong and robust judicial system provides a good platform for investment and gives investor confidence.
“Some of our judges are now nearing their compulsory retirement age. Many of them have spent most of their active working life on the bench for over 30 years or more.
Niningi said Judges make important constitutional decisions, pass judgments and develop underlying laws through pronouncements that reinforce and strengthen the rule of law that provides for an orderly and peaceful society.
“This is a significant responsibility indeed and weighs heavily on the judges every time they sit in court. This responsibility must be properly recognized and reciprocated.