‘Victorian’ expenses of country’s judges exposed

DETAILS of the “Victorian” expenses and entitlements of the country’s judges show they are claiming up to €1,800 a year for frocks and almost €10,000 to keep libraries at their homes and “sitting rooms” near courts during hearings.

The judiciary claimed €2.3 million in expenses last year, including a €40,138 bill for wigs which rose by 53% on the previous year.

Judges’ salaries range from €295,000 for the Chief Justice, €243,000 for a High Court judge, to €177,554 for a Circuit Court judge.

And details of expenses bestowed on the judiciary have been provided to the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and show that, despite the economic downturn, they can claim: €745 for a frock coat; €575 for a frock coat with tail; €389 for a gown and €165 for a vest or waistcoat.

These claims can be made every two years while the taxpayer foots the €2,195 bill once for a judge’s wig.

Judges of the High Court and Supreme Court, as well as Presidents of District and Circuit courts are also entitled to an annual, un-vouched €9,057 to “cover the provision of a study and suitable library facilities, when required to work at home”.

They are also entitled to a €36 a night “sitting room allowance” in case they need to “work in accommodation after court” according to correspondence to the PAC from the Department of Justice. “This goes back a long time to the days when judges travelled around the country and got a hotel bedroom when they needed to work late in the evening or to have their dinner separately, which they still try to do as much as possible,” the committee recently heard.

Tip staff, who are best known for escorting judges to and from court, cost the taxpayer €2.5m a year.

An Bord Snip Nua recommended the abolition of the role and PAC chairman, Bernard Allen, said the role was: “Victorian and out of date.” He said: “Surely at a time people are experiencing cutbacks all over the place, this is a luxury judges could do without.”