Judges are unlikely to hear the outcome of a review into their salaries until “into 2018”, the Lord Chief Justice has said.
Speaking at his annual press conference last week, Lord Thomas also backed more high-level career progression in the judiciary, including appraisal and career planning.
He said he doubted whether the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) would report “until into 2018”.
“What we are looking for is an interim measure and then a proper examination,” he said.
“The last review which took place in 2011 was never implemented and this time I think there is a much greater all round, and I am very grateful to the chairman of the SSRB for this, he feels that really we must do a proper job and then do everything possible to implement the recommendations.”
On career progression, he noted that people are entering the judiciary in their late thirties and therefore the judiciary needed to explore what those people were interested in, “absolutely introduce appraisal” and introduce “some idea of career planning”.
“I am very anxious to make certain that whatever age, but particularly the young when they enter the judiciary, can see a variety of work,” he said.
“They may have started in a tribunal or started as a district judge and they may want to do different things and I think we ought to make that possible.”
Lord Thomas struck a cautious note on the danger of paid McKenzie Friends “preying on vulnerable people”.
“One has to bear in mind, and I have seen this both in crime and in immigration, that someone who is under threat of removal or is accused of a serious crime is extremely vulnerable and it is very easy for someone to say, ‘Come on, I can help you,’” he said.
“I have seen them [helping in immigration cases], who give legal advice that is simply wrong and you are preying on vulnerable people and that is why I am very, very cautious about payment to non-lawyers who try and assist vulnerable people. There is a real risk of exploitation or of giving advice the person wants to hear, not advice that they do not want to hear.”
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