Justice - Worries about the next generation of judges: Better pay demanded
The judiciary sees itself at an increasing disadvantage in the battle for young talent. "The private sector attracts people with high starting salaries, so it takes a lot of idealism for a young lawyer with a good exam to decide to join the civil service," said Wulf Schindler, Chairman of the German Association of Judges in Baden-Württemberg (DRB BW), to the German Press Agency in Stuttgart. "In many places, we can at best still cover the demand, but whether we still have a selection of the best is very questionable." Large law firms offer 150,000 euros starting salary, which is almost three times as much as in the judiciary.
Justice Minister Marion Gentges does not see the situation as so dramatic. The requirement to attract the best for the judiciary in Baden-Württemberg is currently being met. The Christian Democrat added: "After the last exams in the fall, we were able to inspire the top candidates for the judiciary: six of the seven best exam candidates, including the best three, applied to the Baden-Württemberg judiciary." However, hard work must be done to ensure that this remains the case. "Because the competition for good people is getting bigger and bigger." All relevant factors need to be taken into account.
From Schindler's point of view, the most recent collective wage agreement for the public sector with special payments and a salary increase of 5.5 percent is an important critical factor. It has not improved the salaries of judges and public prosecutors. In addition, the pay gaps between the various career paths have been distorted in relation to each other. As in Hesse, salaries in the senior civil service would have to be increased by an additional three percent in several stages.
"A large part of the population still assumes that judges and public prosecutors live in luxury, that their offices are furnished like those seen in TV crime dramas and that they can afford the chic, large detached houses with upscale furnishings that can be admired in TV films," said the presiding judge at Stuttgart Higher Regional Court. "If this is the case in individual cases, it is not financed from the income of the judge or public prosecutor, but is usually inherited."
Last year, 200 lawyers applied for 170 jobs in the judiciary in the south-west. "You can say that's enough, but it doesn't guarantee that you will have the necessary knowledge of psychology, business and IT that goes beyond a brilliant exam," said Schindler. At 57,000 euros gross in the southwest, the starting salary for judges and public prosecutors is not competitive. "The profession is great, but whether a young family can afford to buy their own home is another matter."
Against this backdrop, the Association of Judges warns of a decline in the quality and speed of judgments. The gap between demand and supply of graduates is particularly wide in eastern Germany. The retirement wave of the baby boomer generation will have an impact there. And the next generation - 60 percent of whom are female - are increasingly opting for part-time work.
Financial remuneration also varies considerably, as a nationwide survey conducted by the DRB at the turn of the year 2022/2023 revealed: a young unmarried judge or a young unmarried female public prosecutor in Bavaria receives a gross monthly salary of 5021 euros at the start of their career, which is 271 euros more than in Baden-Württemberg and 644 euros more than in Saarland. The Saarland therefore continues to bring up the rear in terms of pay for young judges and public prosecutors, with Thuringia in second-last place and Rhineland-Palatinate in third-last place. According to further information from the DRB, Hamburg and Baden-Württemberg are in second and third place respectively.
The DRB is calling for uniform and higher salaries for the 22,000 judges and 6,200 public prosecutors in Germany and refers to the EU Commission's criticism of what it considers to be too low salaries nationwide. Compared to the average income, it is one of the lowest in Europe.
Judges statistics German Association of Judges
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- Marion Gentges, the Justice Minister in Baden-Württemberg, acknowledged the importance of attractive salaries in attracting top talent, mentioning that six of the seven best exam candidates applied to the Baden-Württemberg judiciary.
- Wulf Schindler, the Chairman of the German Association of Judges in Baden-Württemberg (DRB BW), highlighted that judges and public prosecutors often have lower starting salaries than their counterparts in the private sector, which can make it challenging to attract young talent.
- The German Press Agency reported concerns about the judiciary's ability to attract and retain young talent, with Schindler citing the example of a starting salary for judges and public prosecutors in the southwest at 57,000 euros gross, which is less competitive than in the private sector.
- In a nationwide survey conducted by the DRB, it was revealed that the pay for young judges and public prosecutors varies greatly across Germany, with Bavaria offering a starting salary of 5021 euros gross, which is higher than in Baden-Württemberg and Saarland.
- To address these concerns, the German Association of Judges is advocating for uniform and higher salaries for judges and public prosecutors in Germany, citing the EU Commission's criticism of low salaries as a potential issue.
Source: www.stern.de
