Who judges the judges? Expenses claims rise by £3m in two years

Who judges the judges? Expenses claims rise by £3m in two years

The judiciary claimed £32 million this year on luxuries including first-class train tickets, air fares, hotel stays and eating out, figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act disclose.

The sum also includes compensation paid to judges who buy homes closer to the courts where they work, and nightly allowances of £32 when they choose to stay at their second homes.

The data, obtained by The Independent, shows that the expenses bill for the 3,679 fee-paid and salaried judges for this year was £3,676,333 – a rise of more than £500,000 in the last two years.

There was a similar increase for those serving on tribunals, while the rise in the expenses bill for magistrates was just over £2m in the same period.

Judiciary expenses claims 'rise by £3 million in two years' (Daily Telegraph, 23 November 2009)