Top judges and their families fly high on taxpayer

TAXPAYERS have forked out more than $100,000 so the spouses of High Court judges can follow them on overseas jaunts and around the country in first or business class, with one judge racking up a $75,000 benefits bill.

Justice Susan Kiefel racked up a $75,000 travel bill. Picture: Jack Tran

TAXPAYERS have forked out more than $100,000 so the spouses of High Court judges can follow them on overseas jaunts and around the country in first or business class.

Benefits paid by taxpayers, on top of the judges $520,000 a year salaries, totalled more than $600,000, covering international flights, phone, internet, private-plated car hire, even home security as well as fringe benefits tax.

Freedom of Information documents revealed the nation’s seven High Court judges took $120,000 in international trips in 2016-17 to PNG, Canada, Sri Lanka, Ireland, England and China to attend conferences and give speeches, with some jaunts lasting more than a month.

But taxpayers also coughed up $56,000 for five of them to take their spouses with them on their international travels in first or business class, plus another $59,000 for domestic flights.

According to the Remuneration Tribunal documents, spouses should only travel with office holders at taxpayer expense if “it is demonstrably in the interest of the Commonwealth ... for the office holder to be accompanied by his/her spouse or partner”.

Justice Stephen Gageler. Picture: Britta Campion

Chief Justice Susan Kiefel racked up the biggest benefits bill of $75,000, on top of her generous $576,000 salary.

These benefits included $13,000 in international travel and accommodation to Canada to attend the Asia Pacific Colloquium in Vancouver and a delegation to Beijing and Shanghai at the invitation of the Chief Justice of Supreme People’s Court of China.

It also included $42,500 in flights for her spouse, $1318 for her home phone, $943 for internet, and $15,000 in car costs.

But Justice Stephen Gageler took four international trips costing $46,228 to fly to the US, Vancouver, East Timor, PNG, England and Ireland.

Federal and Family court judges also benefited from taxpayer-funded international travel, but had lower bills.

Just nine of the 51 Federal Court judges took overseas trips to attend conferences, costing a total of $86,000, while there were 13 international jaunts by Family Court judges costing $101,000.

Attorney-General Christian Porter said overseas conferences allowed judges to learn international best practice, saying it was particularly important for the High Court.

“Because the courts are independent and free of interference from the executive arm of government each is responsible for their own operation and management,” he said.

“Of course there is always an imperative to ensure required travel is organised as efficiently as possible and I understand that improving listings practices to minimise domestic travel expenses for the family court is an area being worked on at present.”