Judges earning over £112,000 feel 'undervalued' after 2 percent pay rise

Judges earning £112,000 per year have complained they feel “undervalued” after more senior judges were given a larger pay rise.

District judges said they have been “ignored” by justice ministers, who last month awarded High Court judges a 25 percent temporary pay increase and circuit judges a 15 percent increase, due a recruitment crisis.

Recruitment and retention issues were considered less severe for district judges by the Ministry of Justice, who were instead offered an annual two percent rise, along with the entire judiciary.

The pay for district judges has risen from £110,335 in 2018, to £112,542 in 2019.

While the pay of High Court judges will increase to around £236,000 a year and circuit and upper tribunal judges to £161,332.

Over 300 junior judges, around three quarters of those represented by the Association of Her Majesty's District Judges, have responded to a consultation by the Association surrounding the decision.

In email replies seen by PA district judges said they feel "ignored, undervalued and unappreciated".

One district judge complained of feeling "completely shafted", another said morale is at "rock bottom", while another complained about a "massive recruitment crisis".

In a speech this month, the Lord Chief Justice noted the issue of recruitment was also impacting district judges.

“This year, we are seeing the problem in filling vacancies in the High Court and the circuit bench, extend to the district bench,” he said in a speech at the dinner for Her Majesty’s Judges on July 3.