The raises of the judges’ salaries will not improve the independence of the courts in Russia

A Partner of the Law Firm "YUST" comments to RIA Novosti on the Government resolution to raise the judges’ salaries by 30%.

It became known on Friday that Chairman of the Government Dmitry Medvedev signed the resolution, which stipulates a gradual increase of the monthly monetary remuneration of the judges of various levels by 0.3 of the wages from 2014 till 2016.

According to Alexander Bolomatov, Partner of the Law Firm "YUST", this initiative is “positive without a doubt. However, guarantees of maintenance of the judges’ standard of living after expiration of their powers are more significant for the purposes of improving the judges’ independence”. The expert enumerated residential security, right to a worthy pension, the possibility to act as a legal sphere practitioner without deductions from the pension, and social benefits among such guarantees.

A.Bolomatov said: “In other words, the judge’s standard of living fixed by the law and not by the superiors’ will is what guarantees independence and allows the judge to take independent decisions without checking with their superiors”. He expressed his supposition that the raise will increase the judge’s interest in their position, which will increase their loyalty towards the superiors of the judicial system and not to the State as a whole.

The agency’s interlocutor emphasized: “But I hope that said salary raise will only be the first step in the modification of the system of motivation of the judges’ corps, to be followed soon enough by implementation of additional guarantees of independence of judges in Russia as well as general improvements to the significance and authority of the Judicial”.

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