The Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana (AMJG) has rejected media reports that judges of the superior courts are paid ex-gratia at the end of every four years.
According to AMJG, they are not paid any ex-gratia as they rather receive back pay arising from the back-dating of the salary increase as they are not paid ex-gratia like some Article 71 office holders.
They described the report as false and malicious allegation that judges of the Superior Courts such as Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court Judges are paid ex-gratia at the end of every four years.
In a statement dated Tuesday June 21, 2022, AMJG said that the salaries of judges are rather reviewed every four years saying that “The Association would like to set the records straight as follows:
“a. That, the salaries of Superior Court Judges ie. (Supreme Court Judges, Court of Appeal Judges and High Court Judges) are determined once every four (4) years by His Excellency the President on the recommendation of a Committee appointed by the President under Article 71(1) of the Constitution 1992.
“b. That, if increases are effected in the salary as a result of the recommendations of the Committee , the judges are then paid arrears of salary commonly called Back pay arising from the back-dating of the salary increase.
“c. This arrears of salary or back pay are accordingly paid in a lump sum or instalment. This has been the situation since 1996.
“d) It is this arrears of salary or back pay which is mischievously being described as ex-gratia in the press particularly on radio, television and on social media platforms by some seasoned journalist and so-called social commentators who never attempted to look for the truth,” the statement said.
The Association stated categorically that no Superior Court Judge is or has ever been paid ex-gratia every four years as being wrongly stated in the media.
By Vincent Kubi