Premium vehicles, free public transport highlight submissions sent to Victoria’s new Judicial Entitlements Panel

VICTORIAN magistrates want their taxpayer-funded cars upgraded to “premium vehicles”, as well as cabcharge cards and Goldpass tickets for free public transport.

The list of demands are contained in submissions sent to Victoria’s new Judicial Entitlements Panel, which was set up in June this year. Picture: Stock image

VICTORIAN magistrates want their taxpayer-funded cars upgraded to “premium vehicles”, as well as Cabcharge cards and goldpass tickets for free public transport.

And magistrates believe they should be able to claim their car ­allowance in cash, deserve an extra five days’ annual leave for “professional development”, and need a salary review.

Magistrates get paid $291,000 a year, while the chief magistrate earns just over $364,000.

Supreme Court judges earn just over $420,000, while the Chief Justice earns $474,926.

The list of demands are contained in submissions sent to Victoria’s new Judicial Entitlements Panel, which was set up in June this year.

The panel has not yet decided whether many of the proposed perks should be recommended to Attorney-General Martin Pakula

Attorney-General Martin Pakula. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

But it has ­endorsed the call for judges and ­magistrates to not seek approval from Mr Pakula for travel overseas.

The report says that asking the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and other court leaders to seek approval for travel overseas “is inconsistent given the boundaries separating the executive from the judiciary”.

Magistrates said a new car scheme was needed, including an option to cash out that money “but have access to benefit of fuel card and vehicle maintenance”.

The Magistrates’ Court declined to comment.

Tim Smith, shadow parliamentary secretary to the Opposition Leader, said Victoria’s justice system “is nearly broken” but judges were eyeing “bigger perks”.

“Daniel Andrews has to put a stop to this gravy train,” he said.

“You can’t keep Victorian streets safe from the Apex gang when you’re at a junket in Acapulco.”

The call for more perks comes after Victorian judicial officers got pay rises this year off the back of a Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal decision.

Freedom of Information documents obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun show that Court Services Victoria listed in Budget briefings a concern that one major expense risk was “growth in salary expenditure and insufficient funding to resource expected increases in demand”.

“The government has only just ­received the report and we will need time to consider the recommendations,” Mr Pakula said.