Judges Under Fire Over Unpaid Levy

Ireland's most senior judge has capitulated to mounting pressure over the State's judge's non-payment of the pension levy.

Chief Justice John Murray made the announcement after it was revealed that only 19 of 148 judges have agreed to pay the Government's pension levy, introduced last year.

Speaking today, Mr Justice Murray claimed suggestions that a constitutional clause preventing judges from having their salaries cut was being manipulated were "unfair statements".

He contended that if judges had not yet made these payments it "cannot and does not mean that he or she has refused or will decline to do so".

Mr Justice Murray said judges had only received documents from Revenue on May 11 and a failure to pay already did not mean they were ignoring it.

The pay of judges was not automatically affected by the imposition of the levy, unlike the rest of the public service.

This is because judges' pay is protected from being cut in the Irish constitution in order to maintain independence from the Government.

The unprecedented public response from the state's Chief Justice is believed to indicate the seriousness of the allegations.

See: Judges 'Guilty' Of Levy Failures

(DW/BMcC)