Second Reading Speech by Minister for Law, K Shanmugam, on the Judges' Remuneration (Amendment) Bill

4 Nov 2014 Posted in Parliamentary speeches and responses

Madam Speaker,

1. I beg to move, ‘That the Bill be now read a second time’.

2. This Bill amends the Judges’ Remuneration Act, which together with the amendments to the Constitution moved earlier, provides a gratuity plan for future judicial and statutory appointment holders.

3. The Bill focuses specifically on the judicial appointments of the Chief Justice, Judges of Appeal and Judges of the High Court.

4. It specifies the terms under which such a plan may be paid to judicial appointment holders.

5. It also confers on the President the power to make regulations to prescribe a gratuity plan for judicial appointment holders. This is similar to the amendments to the Constitution for statutory appointment holders.

6. The Bill also provides for a death gratuity to be paid to the dependants or estate of judicial appointment holders, should they die in service.

7. Both the gratuity plan and the death gratuity will be paid from the Consolidated Fund.

8. As the death gratuity will now be provided for in this Bill, the Bill makes a consequential amendment to remove its provision for this group under the Pensions Act.

9. This will prevent double claims for death gratuities under separate Acts for judicial and statutory appointment holders.

10. This gratuity plan will apply only to future judicial appointment holders. Current appointment holders will not be affected by the change.

11. Madam Speaker, in summary, the amendments in this Bill, together with those to the Constitution, will make future judicial and statutory appointment holders non-pensionable, like most public officers.

12. I beg to move.

Last updated on 04 Nov 2014