District court judges get $20,000 pay rise

District court judges are to receive a $20,000 pay rise, an increase of about 9 per cent.

The increase will take the base salary of New Zealand's 130 fulltime district court judges to about $235,000, The Dominion Post reported.

Judges also receive expenses of $4000 to $8000 and have an amount equivalent to up to a third of their salary paid into a superannuation scheme.

Judges' salaries are set by the Remuneration Authority. The new rate was signed off last week and Government ministers were notified.

The new rate was due to be made public on Thursday.

Authority chairman David Oughton confirmed the rise, which would be backdated to October 1.

Last year district court judges received a 3.2 per cent increase, but Mr Oughton said that "modest" rise was not a consideration in setting this year's salaries.

The "overriding concern" was the judiciary's ability to recruit judges, he said.

The authority has said in previous years that it has evidence of the "income sacrifice" judicial appointees make to serve their country.

The New Zealand Law Society has said pay is an issue in attracting candidates who can potentially earn more as barristers than as judges.

Last November the Ministry of Justice said raising the retirement age of judges was an issue that might have be looked at as the current retirement age of 68 could discourage recruitment.

Mr Oughton said another factor considered in setting the new rate was the widening gap between the salaries of district and high court judges.

Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said most pay rises in the past year were 3 to 5 per cent, but he did not begrudge anyone a pay rise.

"Good luck to the judges. I just hope they give support to our members' claims when we are continuing to campaign this year."

- NZPA