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gavel via ter

Irish judges are among the best paid in Europe

A judge at the beginning of their career can expect to take home €122,512.

IRELAND HAS SOME of the best paid judges in Europe, a new report has found.

The gross annual salary for a judge at the beginning of their career in Ireland stands at €122,512. This is only higher in Norway, Switzerland, and the UK.

The study found the lowest gross annual salary in the EU for a judge at the beginning of their career was in Bulgaria, where judges can expect to be paid just €14,345.

Armenia, who were included in the study of European countries, sees their judges earn just €1,145 at the beginning of their careers.

The study also revealed that Ireland has the lowest number of judges per capita of any country in Europe.

Fewest judges 

In the report, published yesterday by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), Ireland was found to have only 3.1 judges per 100,000 inhabitants.

The average number of judges per 100,000 inhabitants is 21. The European Union country with the highest per capita rate of judges was Slovenia with 47.1 judges per 100,000 inhabitants.

Overall, Ireland has a total of 144 judges. The EU member state with the most judges is Germany, with 19,832.

The report, which examines trends in judicial systems across Europe, also found that the economic downturn across Europe had impacted judicial budgets in about half of countries.

Luxembourg and France are the only countries in Europe that provide access to the courts free of charge for users. Across the majority of states the revenue from the justice system presents a significant resource.

Individual spend

On average it was found that each person in Europe spends €60 a year on judicial systems.

Ireland was found to be among Europe’s biggest spenders when it came to the overall percentage of annual public expenditure.

Our spending of 3.4% of our national budget is equal to Denmark’s with only the Republic of Macedonia and the United Kingdom allocating bigger percentages to the justice system.

The average percentage spend as part of annual public expenditure across Europe is 2.2%.

Read: Ireland’s judges are struggling to ‘maintain services to which people have a right’

Also: Justice committee calls for single Garda Ombudsman

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54 Comments
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    Mute Michael
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:49 AM

    So cut their salaries and hire more its a no brainer, oh wait this is Ireland, so let’s form a committee pay them expenses, issue a report in two years, then form another committee to study the report, pay them expenses and in let’s say five years do nothing, simples!!!

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    Mute Hank
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:41 AM

    And also the most incompetent… Child abuser? Here’s 18 months for ya. Etc etc… A joke.

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    Mute Danny Rigg
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:16 PM

    It isn’t necessarily the judges, there are certain guidelines that they have to follow. There are minimum and maximum sentences for many crimes, and they don’t decide how long a life sentence is, which is why that’s so short here.

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    Mute Conor Maher
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:33 PM

    In fairness it’s our crappy constitution and laws that often tie their hands when it comes to sentencing.
    They are still out of touch and over paid though.

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:49 AM

    Well there’s a surprise, our judges, like our politicians, are among the best paid and least competent in Europe. Great little country.

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    Mute Andrew O Cionnaith
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:21 PM

    Where does it say they’re the least competent? Or are you just casting aspersions?

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:25 PM

    Among the least competent. Our justice system is a shambles.

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    Mute John R
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:58 PM

    Jamie, you are talking populist nonsense. Most Judges in civil law countries are actually career civil servants albeit working in a different branch of Govt called the judiciary. The Irish judiciary is not recruited from the civil service nor are they civil servants. They are recruited from the ranks of the legal profession. The Irish judicial system is consistently voted one of the most independent of Govt in the world. Of course if you convert them to civil servants you could save money !

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    Mute Mick Jenkins
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:22 PM

    A bit of sense john!!

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:27 PM

    One judge can jail a fella for 5 years for importing garlic labelled as apples or whatever, another one can let a serial child-rapist walk free on compassionate grounds. Why are so many young thugs unafraid of the law? There’s only so much the Guards can do.

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    Mute Danny Rigg
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    Oct 10th 2014, 3:09 PM

    There’s only so much judges can do, they have to follow certain guidelines when it comes to sentencing.

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    Mute Witszend
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:47 AM

    They also have an unbelievably generous pension scheme which would cost 82% of their salary to fund

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    Mute Martin Hayes
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:17 PM

    Judges are also political appointees, recommended by other judges who were also political appointees etc. etc. etc.
    Surely there has to be scope for abuse.

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    Mute Jason
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:41 AM

    Germany, Population 80 million, has the most judges. That’s news? In other news, the pope is catholic.

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    Mute James Comiskey
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:08 PM

    @Jason Germany has 20 times our population but 138 times the number of judges

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    Mute Peter Reilly
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:16 PM

    And a completely different legal system….

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    Mute Boganity
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:33 PM

    Senseless story: there’s a reason judges are highly paid, in parts of the world judges get minimum wage…they’re also the most corrupt counties in the world where bribery will get you any outcome you want.

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    Mute Mike
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:55 AM

    Surprise Surprise, salaries in Ireland are amongst the highest in Europe across all sectors of employment. For a country with a population similar to a medium sized city in Europe, you ask yourself why is Ireland so expensive.

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    Mute Peter Reilly
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:15 PM

    Where are these “medium sized” EU cities with over four million people; I thought I was well travelled but must have missed them all…. Hello delusional. You may be forgetting that 19/28 countries in the EU have populations of 10 million or less..

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    Mute Mike
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:22 PM

    Small European cities Dublin/Amsterdam. Medium European cities Berlin/Madrid, large European cities London/Paris. Silly…..

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    Mute Peter Reilly
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:58 PM

    That’d work if there were only six cities in Europe.. Calling Berlin a medium-sized European city is ludicrous. By your reckoning there are two “big” European cities, about 150 medium sized ones, and 200 “small” ones…
    Really strange scale you’ve managed to construct for yourself there.

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    Mute Cormac Gibney
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:41 AM

    This is news?

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    Mute Boganity
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:29 PM

    I’m with you I don’t geddit !

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    Mute Ciarán
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:24 PM

    The problem with Judges salaries is that the vast majority of them already take a huge pay cut when they take up a position as a judge. The amount some barristers and solicitors earn here is obscene because they control the barriers to entry to the profession. reform the legal industry first then we can think about lowering salaries.

    Also the article mentions the high pay and then says we have one of the largest public spends on judicial systems as if trying to conflate the 2 judges pay is only a tiny factor of our massive public legal bill

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    Mute Mick Jenkins
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:24 PM

    The last reforms opening it up massively and what happened? Cream still rose to the top but now thousands of barristers can’t even make a living.

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    Mute Rick Anderson
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:41 PM

    It’s a bit misleading to say they’;; take home 122k and then later one explain that it’s their gross salary, a quick bit of checking tells me their actual take home pay would be just under 70k

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    Mute Jon Rodgers
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:43 AM

    Probably the most useless comparison I’ve ever read.

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    Mute Niallers
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:10 PM

    Every comparable job that is paid for by the tax payer in this country seems to be the best paid in the world.

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    Mute John B
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:58 PM

    Not just tax payer, most private also. Why not go to Spain and see how much a shop worker gets or barman compared to Ireland? I think you will find a big difference. That doesn’t make news though. Its the perennial chip on our Irish shoulder that we assume anyone on a big salary sailed into the job and doesn’t deserve it. PS I have nothing to do with the legal profession and certainly don’t get paid that much.

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    Mute Stephen Fitzpatrick
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:01 PM

    This is a really unfair comparison.

    Firstly, as pointed out above, the figures for other countries include people in roles that are excluded in the Irish definition of judge, such as the Registrars or the statutory decision-makers.

    Secondly, rather than a judge being a separate career path, in Ireland you only become a judge towards the end of your working life.

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    Mute John R
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:00 PM

    Perfectly correct Stephen. Another attempt at harmonising radically different systems and drawing ludicrous comparisons.

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    Mute Horgan Tim
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:45 AM

    Presume the County Registrars have been excluded in this. Id imagine their function would be carried out by a “Judge” in any other country therefore that skews the numbers somewhat.

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    Mute Darren Mullen
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:42 AM

    All the boys at the top as usual. I think this small country has an inferiority complex in relation to pay.

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:53 PM

    Well isn’t that a shock. … wow and i just heard water is wet too. …a day of revelations. …. These are the incompetent people who free criminals and rapists and jail old ladys for not paying their TV licence. ….

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    Mute Mick Jenkins
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:25 PM

    That’s literally all they do, nailed it. Ugh…

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    Mute Mick Jenkins
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:21 PM

    Why is it anytime a story comes up that ‘XYZ’ is the best paid, all the warriors come out and give out about it. Maybe the choice between what you give up ie a career as a barrister/solicitor is much more lucrative and so no one would do it for less money? Or at least anyone good enough to do it.

    Whatever about certain politicians etc I think having a strong independent legal and medical system is of paramount importance and I’m more than happy to let taxes go to it. Better that that have some guy who couldn’t get a job in a law firm or his practise was in bits taking the job because he’s bit other options.

    Id hate to be a judge; constantly watching my back, making difficult decisions where you can never be sure you’re right, potentially outting innocent people away or letting murderers free.. Needing an armed Garda. It’s not all rosy in the garden.

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    Mute Wesole
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    Oct 10th 2014, 11:41 AM

    Cue the outrage.

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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:55 PM

    The establishment has feathered its nest nicely.

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:53 PM

    We could replace all of them with a dummy with a tape recorder taped to it’s stomach, just have the clerk press the button when a serious offender comes into the courtroom and play the words ”suspended sentence”
    They’d have done all the judges in Ireland do for none of the cost.

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    Mute SilentFugitive
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:29 PM

    Keep them well greased and reduce their temptation to accept any nods or winks.

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    Mute Snorre Sturleson
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:32 PM

    All political appointeees all used to following the party line, hard on garlic soft on bankers. They were never appointed for their brains merely their facility to lick ass and bow to their pay masters.

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    Mute Mike
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    Oct 10th 2014, 1:02 PM

    I was trying to keep it as simple as possible for you. 4 million in Berlin. A medium sized city.

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    Mute Matthew Holmes
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    Oct 11th 2014, 10:20 PM

    In Ireland you need at least ten years practise as a lawyer to be come a district or circuit court judge and 12 years practise to become a High or Supreme Court judge. That is the minimum qualification. In some European countries, for example Poland and Germany, you can go straight into a career as a judge from college. This why there is such a difference in starting salaries.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Oct 10th 2014, 3:26 PM

    I judged a flower show once ,got nothing for it

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    Mute joe soap
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:28 PM

    judges pay should be linked to the amount of time violent ciminals and repeat offenders spend behind bars. money should also be deducted for criminals who commit offences while on bail.

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    Mute Dónal Ó Maoláin
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    Oct 10th 2014, 12:00 PM

    More water…

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    Mute Jason O Neill
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    Oct 10th 2014, 3:09 PM

    High wages and make highly bad decissions when pass down a good sentence when its needed

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    Mute Dervy O' S
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:00 PM

    Now I know I’m in the wrong job!! Should of been a judge!

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    Mute joe soap
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:31 PM

    on the X factor, maybe

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    Mute Chris Prior
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    Oct 10th 2014, 2:34 PM

    You need to actually have a brain to do that.

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    Mute Mick Kirwan
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    Oct 11th 2014, 8:47 PM

    oh here come the judges ………

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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Oct 10th 2014, 6:45 PM

    well WHO would have thought that?

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Oct 10th 2014, 9:23 PM

    Well, we’ve gone through our Taoisigh, the Church, our schools, several high profile medical consultants and the Gardai. I apologise if I have omitted any privileged groups open to scandal, but I have a feeling that incompetent judges won’t last long in the public eye.
    How Ireland has changed…

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