FOR RELEASE: Friday, June 26, 1998
EDMONTON-The Judicial Compensation Commission has submitted its report to Alberta Justice Minister Jon Havelock. "I'd like to thank Commission Chair Susan Evans for delivering the report on time. This means we'll be in good shape for having an independent process in place to determine judges' salaries by the September 18th deadline set by the Supreme Court," Havelock stated.
The report calls for Provincial Court judges to receive an annual salary of $142,000, retroactive to April 1, 1998. It also recommends that the Chief Judge be paid $15,000 and the Assistant Chief Judges $7,500 on top of the base annual salary. As of April 1, 1999, the report recommends that Provincial Court judges get another salary increase to $152,000 annually.
Changes to the judicial pension plan are also recommended. The report calls for judges to contribute to their plan at the rate of 9 per cent of annual salaries for a maximum of 25 years. It recommends that benefits accrue at the annual rate of 2.67 per cent of judges' salaries.
The report is currently being reviewed by the Justice Minister, the Chief Judge and the Provincial Judges' Association. It will go to Cabinet by September 1998. The recommendations in the report are binding on government unless Cabinet decides otherwise.
Release of the report at this time has the concurrence of Chief Judge E. Wachowich and the Provincial Court Judges' Association.
Havelock established the Judicial Compensation Commission on March 3, 1998, to review compensation for Alberta's Provincial Court Judges. It was established in response to a Supreme Court decision in September 1997, which directed provincial governments to establish independent bodies to oversee judges' salary adjustments.
30
Note to editors: copies of the report are available from Justice Communications. In Calgary, copies will be made available upon request from the McDougall Centre.
For further information contact:
Peter Tadman - Justice Communications - Phone: (403) 427-8530
Minister of Justice and Attorney General - Phone: (403) 427-2339
Comments regarding presentation should be forwarded to
Technical and service related questions should be forwarded to
Copyright(c); 1997 Government of Alberta
Return to Government Home Page