Dubious judgment in Victoria

Victorian editor Damon Johnston’s expose of Victorian judges’ spending splurges before the Covid-19 pandemic raises an interesting question. How have they managed to adjudicate on matters before them since our international border closure made attendances at conferences in Greece, New York, London, San Francisco and other destinations impossible?

More than 200 pages of expense records from 2015-16 to 2019-20, released to The Australian under Freedom of Information legislation, reveal that the judges spent tens of thousands of dollars travelling overseas and interstate, with their partners, at public expense. Taxpayers also have paid for judges’ Apple Watches and AirPods. Not to be penny-wise/pound-foolish, they have charged the public purse as little as $10 to top up their Myki public transport cards to use Melbourne’s trams, trains and buses. In private, judges have been known to lament that serving on the bench leaves them far short of the incomes of their learned friends at the Bar. Their sacrifices are not in vain. Victoria’s Supreme Court judges are paid $468,000 a year; their County Court colleagues receive $405,000.

We would love to name the big spenders. But Court Services Victoria redacted names and identifying details from the data. In a statement, the Supreme Court said judges’ professional development helped them to better serve the community. Quite so.

In light of the $4266 spent for a judge to attend a “themes in democracy” conference in Greece in 2019, we suggest a follow-up event on accountability and transparency. To be held in Melbourne, with free coffee and sandwiches thrown in.