Mr Justice Clarke

Ministers decided this week to push ahead with a two per cent pay increase for judges across the board.

The increase will give an extra €2,543 per year to a District Court judge and an extra €4,095 to a Supreme Court judge.

However, the pay increase – which is actually a pay restoration following the cuts in judicial salaries after the 2008 economic crash – has been met with criticism as wages in general stagnate against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Chief Justice’s reported decision not to accept the pay increase could lead to pressure on other judges to do the same, the Irish Independent reports.