Rift deepens over judiciary pay rates

THE escalating and increasingly bitter rift between the Government and judiciary over pay rates intensified last night as judges were slapped down by Justice Minister Alan Shatter.

The minister made his irritation clear at the posting of a notice on the Courts Service website which criticised the wording of a referendum question on the issue of judges’ pay.

Mr Shatter expressed anger at the memo, which he said was put into the public domain at the taxpayers’ expense and called for it to be removed.