Financial incentives, housing for judges must be improved: Pres
The president called for better coordination between the agencies involved in the investigation process to instill confidence among the people.
By
Ahmed Mizyal
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said on Thursday that the issue of financial benefits and housing for judges needs to be addressed and the government's amendments to the Judges Act will address them.
Speaking at the ceremony held at Dharubaaruge this Thursday evening to mark the beginning of the new year, President Solih said that the integrity of the judges is the cornerstone of the judiciary.
In order to achieve this, he said it was essential that the needs of the judges had to be met.
"The issue of financial incentives and housing is something that needs to be addressed. The government's proposed amendments to the Judges Act are solutions to this," he said.
"Once the Bill becomes law, a certain number of flats will be allotted to judges from housing projects in the country. Even the living allowance of judges in islands where such projects are not available will be reduced to less than 35%t of the basic salary of the judges."
President Solih said:
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Magistrates' salaries hiked last year as well
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As stated in this year's presidential statement, the completion of the pay disclosure process initiated by the government will have a positive impact on the salaries of the judiciary.
He said the process of amending the law to bring about changes in the composition of the Judicial Service Commission has also come to an end. Pointing out that the required bills have been prepared and are now ready to be tabled in parliament, he said they would be sent to parliament soon.
"Once the above bills are introduced in Parliament, the process of major changes in the legal framework to strengthen the judiciary will be completed," he said.
Here are some other important points of the President's speech:
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Justice is not only achieved through court proceedings; it is the responsibility of the state as a whole and can be established through the efforts of the three powers of the state
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He called for better coordination between the agencies involved in the investigation process to instill confidence among the people
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The role of lawyers is also important in this regard and it should be the highest responsibility of lawyers to ensure law and order, he said.
