SWS Survey on Judges & Lawyers

The Inquirer reports that lawyers have more access to resources and technology than members of the bench. 

<big yawn>

So what else is new? Should it be the other way around? Well, the Inquirer report seems so when it opens with the following line:

THERE ought to be a law.

They’re way off the mark here.  I can’t think of any judicial system in the world where judges make more money or have access to superior resources than practicing attorneys.  I understand in Singapore, judges are paid $100,000 a year — a substantial sum but I’m sure it’s less than what partners (and maybe senior associates) in major firms make.  

The fact of the matter is that becoming a judge is not supposed to be a move that makes one wealthy.  Ideally, a person aspiring to enter the judiciary should already be financially secure.  If he’s not, then he should be ready for a life of near-penury.  I’m a government employee, too.  I know.

Besides, I wonder if the administration of justice in this country will improve with additional spending.  Will cases be resolved more quickly?  Will people have greater access to the courts? I’m not entirely sure.

I like to think of judges as people who feel strongly about the delivery of justice in society and the supremacy of the rule of law.  Without that conviction, I don’t know how else they can bear with the hardships of their office.