Re: Salaries of State Judges

[succeed]

Robin makes some valid points, but missed one important one. she said   "that our judges must  be required by law to publically declare personal/ family (direct and indirect) interests/investments/assets, and where a judge has even the remotest such  interest or link with any matter subject of a case coming before them then this must be divulged in open court, noted on the transcript and left solely for the plaintiff, rather than the Judge, to decide whether or not they should properly hear that case:   The words "and or defendant" is missing.  In the case of a bank being the plaintiff and the Judge having shares in or a loan from the bank the defendant is exposed.   No mention is made of the right to a choice by either one of the parties for a jury.   Everything that transpires in the proceedings should be recorded on fixed video camera. As the attitude and body language of judges in particular is of the utmost importance, as it very often is the opposite to the words spoken.   As for costs, average solicitor costs are more like $250 per hour not $350.  The question of the salary of a public servant only arrises when there is neglect or abandonment of duty.  As is no doubt the case in this instant.   I was not aware of the switch in the transcript recording system.  I have found voice recorded transcripts to be in full. This is not the case with hand taken transcripts, which are always incomplete and often in error and subject to bias editing of which I have substantial proof.  Worse still many courts proceed without the court transcript recorder in the court.  I have been placed in all these situations. On a number of occasions, the now Chief Justice In NSW, as a silk, my advisory on one such occasions, he did not support my demand that the court reporter be in place before the proceedings proceeded and was happy with the case proceeding for a half hour before the recorder was available. Six months later he is the Chief Justice.