XN000022-1996-01-31 — Page 34

- 15.

Reply:

Mr President,

The conditions of service for judges and judicial officers are largely similar to that for the civil service as a whole. For historical reasons, overseas terms and conditions of service are different from those offered to local officers. The relatively more favourable overseas conditions of service were originally designed for the purpose of attracting overseas officers to join the service when no suitable local person was available. They were also intended to help overseas officers, who would invariably suffer some dislocation from the environment to which they belonged, to set up a home and to renew regularly family and social ties in their country of origin.

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Conditions of service for overseas judges and judicial officers at Directorate level 3 (D3 or equivalent) or below are more favourable than those for local judges and judicial officers of the same rank in terms of passage and leave entitlements the 'overseas additional' leave entitlement is available to overseas officers only; they are also entitled to annual leave passages, whereas biennial leave passages are provided to their local counterparts. There is also a difference in terms of housing benefits entitlement between local and overseas officers below the level of District Court Judge. For judges and judicial officers at D4 rank or above, local and overseas conditions of service are now the same.

With a view to removing the differences in the civil service, the Administration has proposed that one set of new terms of appointment and conditions of service be introduced for general application. In line with the Administration's proposal, the Judiciary is also considering the introduction of one common set of conditions of service for judicial officers.

End