President Bola Tinubu has proposed a significant salary increase for Supreme Court justices in Nigeria. The move, which aims to bolster the judiciary’s independence and integrity, has been passed by the House of Representatives and awaits the President’s signature.
Under the new legislation, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) would receive an annual basic salary of N3.36 million, with total allowances amounting to N61.24 million, bringing the total annual remuneration to N64.6 million. Other justices of the Supreme Court would earn over N60 million annually, which includes a basic salary of N2.477 million and allowances totaling N57.523 million.
The bill also outlines non-regular allowances for the CJN, such as:
– Leave allowance
– Duty Tour Allowance
– Estacode for foreign trips
Additionally, the CJN will be entitled to a severance gratuity after the successful completion of tenure and a motor vehicle loan, repayable before the expiration of tenure.
The President of the Court of Appeal is set to earn an annual basic salary of N9.91 million, with regular allowances amounting to N52.54 million. Justices of the Court of Appeal will also see a similar increase in their compensation package.
This proposed pay rise represents an over 800% increase from the current earnings of the judicial officers and is supported by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who believe that better compensation will reduce susceptibility to corruption.
The bill seeks to amend the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act, No. 6, 2002, and if enacted, the new salaries and allowances will be effective from January 1, 2024.
