Gambia: Justice Minister Under Fire Over Bill Seen As Secret Pay Rise for Judges

Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Hon. Dawda A. Jallow, on Monday tabled a bill to be read the second time in parliament entitled: The Judicial Officers (Conditions of Service) Bill, 2025', which he said was about safeguarding judicial independence.

But by the time he left the podium, lawmakers were accusing him of repackaging a previously rejected proposal (Judicial Remuneration Bill) and attempting to sneak through salary hikes for judges while ordinary Gambians grapple with skyrocketing prices.

Tabling the Judicial Officers' Conditions of Service Bill 2025, Minister Jallow argued it was a constitutional obligation.

Citing Sections 120 and 142 of the 1997 Constitution, the minister insisted that judges' salaries, pensions, and allowances must be protected by law to guarantee judicial independence. "The independence of the judiciary is not merely symbolic," he told lawmakers. "It must be supported by secure conditions of service, including fair and protected remuneration."

Giving his submission, the Member for Foni Bintang Karanai, Hon Bakary K. Badjie, flatly rejected the bill, accusing the minister of simply rebranding the controversial Judicial Remuneration Bill, which Parliament threw out last year.

"You just changed the title from remuneration to conditions of service. The content is the same and even worse, there are increments in some areas. We cannot single out judges for pay rises when civil servants, teachers, and health workers are struggling. Everybody in this country is suffering."

He accused the Ministry of double standards. "We will not be used," declared one MP. "The same way we rejected this bill before, we will reject it again. No amount of confusion can make us accept special treatment for one arm of government."

"We passed laws to improve our own conditions in this Assembly," argued member for Nianija, Hon Amadou Camara, "but now we want to deny the judiciary the same independence we enjoy. That would not be fair."

Hon. Almameh Gibba, Member for Foni Kansala, argued that magistrates, cadis, and masters are listed under the definition of "judicial officers" yet they were excluded from the schedule of benefits. "You cannot leave magistrates in the dark; they are also at risk every day, sentencing criminals they later meet on the street."

The minority leader, Hon Alhagie S. Darboe, Member for Brikama North, said the bill effectively shifts judges' pensions and gratuities from being calculated on basic salary to total monthly emoluments, amounting to significant increases. "Yes, it is constitutional," he said, "but we must decide how much is reasonable, given the economic hardship in this country."

Hon. Abdoulie Ceesay, Member for Old Yumdum, supported the bill, describing it as long overdue and essential for shielding judges from political pressure.

"If we want an independent judiciary, we must pay them decently and secure their future," one lawmaker argued. "We cannot demand impartial justice from people we refuse to treat fairly."

After the tense debate the bill has now been referred to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny.

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Read the original article on The Point.

Gambia: Justice Minister Under Fire Over Bill Seen As Secret Pay Rise for Judges

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