Earlier this year the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) was tasked by the Lord Chancellor with carrying out a major review of judicial salaries (the Major Review): the terms of reference (TOR) of the Major Review are available here.
One of the key issues which the Major Review has been asked to cover is the relative attractiveness of salaried and fee-paid judicial office. The wording of the relevant section of the TOR reads as follows (with the particularly relevant sections in bold:)
As part of the Major Review, the SSRB has recently issued a Call for Evidence, by way of a questionnaire. All fee-paid judges should have received an email from Judicial Office on 18 November 2025, advising of the Call for Evidence, and seeking replies by the specified deadline for responses: Friday, 30 January 2026.
The Call for Evidence includes questions on the six themes, of which the second, third and fourth themes (see below) are particularly relevant to fee-paid judges:
(1) pay and non-pay factors of recruitment shortfalls;
(2) effectiveness of targeted renumeration interventions for recruitment shortfalls;
(3) the relationship between workload and sitting days of salaried and fee-paid judges;
(4) perceived barriers to joining and progressing through the salaried judiciary;
(5) morale and working conditions;
(6) compensation for judicial leadership.
Further information on the call for evidence, particularly as it relates to the fee-paid judiciary, is contained in the (paywalled) News and Updates section of this website.
We would urge all our members to take the time to carefully read and respond to the Call for Evidence, before the closing date of 30 January 2026.
