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The federal government has rejected an independent commission’s recommendation for a $28,000 salary increase for federally-appointed judges, citing economic concerns and justifying that current salaries are adequate. Justice Minister Sean Fraser stated the government disagrees with the commission’s findings, which argued the raise was necessary to attract top legal talent amid a growing salary gap with private practice. The government maintained that judges benefit from annual salary indexing and that anecdotal evidence from the commission lacked statistical support. This decision raises concerns within the judiciary about the long-term ability to attract qualified candidates to the bench.
