Compared to their provincial and territorial counterparts, judges in the NWT are among the highest paid in Canada.

TheySA国际影视传媒檙e pushing to keep it that way.

Along with proposed tweaks to benefits plans, territorial judges, who earned just shy of $300,000 last year, are asking for a pay raise from the territorial government.

Every four years, the Judicial Remuneration Commission, a three-member panel established as an independent oversight body meant to uphold judicial independence, plays mediator between the two parties. The commission, acting as a bipartisan buffer between judges and the GNWT, hears submissions from both sides related to salaries, benefits, pensions, vacation time and more.

There are currently four full-time judges sitting in territorial court SA国际影视传媒� all of whom reside in the capital SA国际影视传媒� including Chief Judge Robert Gorin.

At a public hearing held at the Explorer Hotel Monday, territorial judges, represented by lawyer Susan Dawes, argued their annual salary of $299,869 should be raised to $310,000 effective April 1 SA国际影视传媒� a 3.4 per cent increase from what theySA国际影视传媒檙e currently earning.

On the same date for every subsequent year until 2024, judgesSA国际影视传媒� annual salary should increase by a percentage equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Yellowknife over the preceding year, Dawes, accompanied by Gorin, told the commission.

Being a territorial judge is a tough, demanding job with unique challenges not seen in other jurisdictions, and judgesSA国际影视传媒� salaries ought to reflect that, say territorial judges. The commission, which makes recommendations to the minister of justice following each hearing, is bound to weigh a myriad of factors before crafting its report SA国际影视传媒� from the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 economic forecast to the salaries earned by judges across the country.

Citing the commission's 2016 report SA国际影视传媒� it stated territorial judges exercised among the broadest, if not the broadest, jurisdiction in Canada SA国际影视传媒� judges say the panel should take into account the daunting demands and wide scope of the job.

In the NWT, territorial judges are tasked with overseeing cases that come before a number of courts within their purview. Criminal, civil, regulatory, family and bylaw matters are all heard by territorial judges. The territory has routinely ranked first for the highest crime rate in Canada, and 90 to 95 per cent of all adult criminal prosecutions in the NWT are tried in territorial court, conditions that saddle territorial judges with a significant workload compared to their counterparts across the country, they say.

Judges say they should be compensated adequately for the unique travel requirements that come with the role SA国际影视传媒� they frequently fly to remote communities to preside over cases, a physically and socially taxing part of the job.

Salaries should swell to keep pace with the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 rate of inflation and changes in YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 CPI, argue territorial judges. The capitalSA国际影视传媒檚 cost of living, pegged among the highest in the country, should also be considered by the commission, submit territorial judges.

They argue their wages should be adjusted to mirror the high earnings enjoyed by professionals in the NWT.

The GNWT says judges are already making enough money.

SA国际影视传媒淭he salary currently stipulated is not only adequate but also appropriate,SA国际影视传媒� states the GNWT in a written submission.

The government, rejecting the lump sum salary increase proposed by territorial judges in the first year of the commissionSA国际影视传媒檚 four-year mandate, is offering pay increases of 0.5 per cent for 2020/2021, followed by an increase of 1.5 per cent for 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.

The GNWT says the jurisdiction territorial judges operate in, while vast and demanding, isnSA国际影视传媒檛 much different from what territorial and provincial judges in other areas face. Challenges experienced by judges with respect to working conditions are mostly SA国际影视传媒渟ubjective,SA国际影视传媒� and their wages - ranking from third to fifth highest in Canada - have consistently outpaced inflation and the earnings of other employees paid by the public purse, argues the GNWT.

Plus, the territorial government says the economic outlook for the territory is gloomy at best: population growth is stagnant, the diamond mining industry is fading - two mines are expected to reach the end of their production lifespans by 2028 - and future resource projects are speculative at best.

If the commission were to recommend the judgesSA国际影视传媒� proposed pay hike, judges would stand to earn around $329,300 by 2023/2024. That would make territorial judges the fourth highest earners only behind their counterparts in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta, says the GNWT.

Territorial judges say the governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 ability to pay them more shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be tied to their warranted request for a wage raise. They admit long-term economic forecasts arenSA国际影视传媒檛 exactly sunny, but say modest gains are expected between 2020 and 2024, citing a February 2019 budget address which predicted the resource sector will SA国际影视传媒渃ontinue to perform reasonably well over the next five to 10 years.SA国际影视传媒�

Benefits

Territorial judges are also seeking changes to the benefits they receive. Among other requests, judges want long-term disability benefits extended from age 65 - the current cutoff - to when a judge is due to receive their pension.

The government is resisting that request, too, claiming such changes to current benefits plans would leave the GNWT vulnerable to significant losses.

In contrast to the proposed salary increases for judges on the table from both parties, a five-year deal struck last year between the GNWT and Union of Northern Workers-represented government employees - a last minute agreement that pulled the territory back from the brink of what would have been a crippling NWT-wide strike - calls for no salary increases for the first two years, followed by a 1.6 per cent increase in the third year, backdated to April 1, 2018. Years four and five will give the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 approximately 3,800 unionized workers salary increases of 2.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively.