Estonian judges may take pay dispute to the European Commission
Estonian judges are considering appealing to the European Commission after the government extended limited salary indexation until 2031. Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi says everyone must make savings.
Judges in Estonia are considering turning to the European Commission after the state budget strategy extended curbs on pay growth for senior public officials. Judges hold office for life and have a special status under the Constitution, and they see the decision as unacceptable. Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi of the Reform Party says everyone must currently make savings.
What has changed
Reduced indexation was originally meant to end in 2028, but the government decided to extend it until 2031. Judges' salaries are tied to their obligation to remain in office for life.
The minister's position
Ligi said he sees no reason to discuss the special status of judges. In his view, the question worth discussing is whether those currently outside this regulation, primarily members of the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament, should also see their rules changed. He described indexing salaries and linking them to average wages or employment as a fairly safe approach and said nothing unfair or disproportionate is happening. He compared the present situation to the financial crisis, but stressed that it is now more serious.
Judges' objections
Anu Uritam, a Harju County Court judge who heads the Estonian Association of Judges, told ERR that the minister's argument is understandable, but judges are unwilling to accept the situation. She said that deciding where to cut and where to invest is a political choice, and that the state has still funded major construction projects, from Süku to Rail Baltica. In her words, the administration of justice is a core state function.
Uritam explained that judges' workloads have grown, for example because of the migration crisis, and that recruiting new judges is getting harder as the judicial system has endured several budget cuts. She added that by reducing indexation, the state has already broken its promise on judges' social guarantees.
International options
One step the association has not yet taken is to ask the European Association of Judges to draw up a resolution supporting Estonian judges. It would be sent to European governments, and the European Commission could be informed as well.
