CJ to look into performance-based bonuses for judges

Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh says such a scheme would encourage the judiciary to produce more high-quality judgments.

Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said that unlike in Singapore, the salaries for Malaysian judges are publicly disclosed under the Judges’ Remuneration Act 1971.

PUTRAJAYA:

 Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh says he will explore the possibility of introducing performance bonuses for judges who are diligent in carrying out their duties, similar to the practice in Singapore.

He said such a scheme would encourage judges to produce more high-quality judgments.

“It’s a good idea. I can explore that possibility because there must be some encouragement to the judges who perform,” he told reporters in an interview marking his 100 days in office as head of the judiciary today.

He said this in response to a question on whether he would consider such a move, as his counterpart in the island republic pays performance bonuses to judges.

In Singapore, the government allocates funds to the judiciary, and the chief justice determines how many months of bonus to award based on judges’ performance.

For a start, Wan Farid said, the scheme could be limited to Court of Appeal and Federal Court judges, as their numbers are small.

However, he was quick to qualify that “we cannot compare (ourselves) to Singapore as it is not an apples-to-apples situation”.

“There, they are encouraging private sector (lawyers) to join the judiciary,” he said.

He noted that in Singapore, judges are not aware of one another’s salaries, unlike in Malaysia where pay scales are publicly listed under the Judges’ Remuneration Act 1971.

A Federal Court judge earns a basic salary of RM28,500; a Court of Appeal judge RM27,500; and a High Court judge RM26,500. Judicial commissioners receive RM25,500.

The chief justice’s basic salary is RM36,000; the Court of Appeal president earns RM31,500; and the chief judges of Malaya and of Sabah and Sarawak receive RM30,000.

Judges do not receive annual increments, unlike government servants and private-sector employees.

They are expected to receive a 30% pay rise from Jan 1, 2026 – their first in 10 years – as approved in the national budget. - FMT