JUDGES' REMUNERATION (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Minister of State for Finance (BG George Yong-Boon Yeo): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

On 23rd March 1989, the First Deputy Prime Minister in his Ministerial Statement on salary revisions for political, judicial and other statutory appointments explained to this House the need to raise the salaries of the Chief Justice and the other Judges of the Supreme Court. Salary changes for the Chief Justice and the other Judges of the Supreme Court must be formally effected by amendment to the Judges' Remuneration Act (Chapter 147 of the Revised Edition,1985).

This Bill seeks to amend that Act and increase the annual pensionable salary of the Chief Justice from $225,600 to $347,400, and the other Judges of the Supreme Court from $163,200 to $234,600 with effect from 1st April this year, as was announced by the First Deputy Prime Minister on 23rd March and debated in this House on the same day.

The additional cost to Government will be of the order of $1.7 million a year.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. [BG George Yong-Boon Yeo].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.