The pays of judges will vary between three and five average official salaries. The Government endorsed President Nicolae Timofti’s legislative initiative on higher pays for judges, IPN reports.
Thus, the salary of judges from ordinary courts of law will be equal to 3 – 3.5 average official salaries, of judges from courts of appeals and of assistant judges from the Constitutional Court – to 4-4.3 average salaries, while of judges from the Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court – to 4.8-5 average salaries. The judges will also benefit from a bonus to the salary for holding executive posts at the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Council of Magistrates, the Courts of Appeals and courts of law. The bonus will vary between 5% and 20%.
Under the bill, the new salaries will be paid in the size of 80% from January 1, 2014 and in full size from January 1, 2015.
“If we want to have an efficient legal system, we must make effort for the judges to think only about their work. I’m sure that shortly after the salaries are raised, we will see noticeable results in the judicial system,” said Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim.
Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Valentina Buliga said it’s hard for her to support such an initiative as ordinary people’s salaries are lower than those of judges. “However, given that we declared the justice sector reform a priority, we must take the necessary steps,” she stated.
