This page of the register has information about the functions of the Judicial Entitlements Panel. It also provides links to reports of the Judicial Remuneration Tribunal – the forerunner to the Judicial Entitlements Panel – which are provided for reference only.

The Judicial Entitlements Panel is a three-member, independent body, established by the Judicial Entitlements Act. The main functions of the Judicial Entitlement Panel include:

  • making own motion recommendations to the Attorney-General in relation to leave entitlements, accrued leave, allowances and benefits provided for judicial officers. Own motion recommendations do not examine salaries, pensions or superannuation of judicial officers
  • when requested by the Attorney-General, to provide advisory opinions in relation to entitlements and any matter relating to terms and conditions of judicial officers, judicial registrars and non‑judicial members of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). These matters can include salaries, pensions, superannuation and any restrictions applying to these officers.

On this page:

  • Attorney-General request for an advisory opinion
  • Report of an advisory opinion laid before each House of the Parliament
  • Report of an own motion recommendation laid before each House of the Parliament
  • Public service body Head nominated by the Minister
  • Recommendation statements laid before each House of the Parliament
  • Written statement of reasons provided to the Attorney-General
  • Previous Judicial Remuneration Tribunal Reports and government responses
  • Document links

Attorney-General request for an advisory opinion

An advisory opinion from the Judicial Entitlements Panel must be initiated through a written request by the Attorney-General. Any request made by the Attorney-General will be published in this register.

The Attorney-General's first request for an advisory opinion was made on 26 October 2018. A copy of the request can be accessed using the relevant document link published at the bottom of this page.

Report of an advisory opinion laid before each House of the Parliament

Subject to personal or confidential information considerations, the Attorney-General is required to cause a copy of the report of an advisory opinion to be laid before each House of Parliament within 10 sitting days after the Attorney-General receives the report. Any report of an advisory opinion must be published in this register.

To date, the Attorney-General has requested one advisory opinion from the Panel and the Panel has delivered its report. A copy of each of these documents can be accessed using the relevant document link published at the bottom of this page.

Report of an own motion recommendation laid before each House of the Parliament

Subject to personal or confidential information considerations, the Attorney-General is required to cause a copy of the report of an own motion recommendation to be laid before each House of Parliament within 10 sitting days after the Attorney-General receives the report.

These reports will be published in this register:

  • The first Judicial Entitlements Panel own motion recommendation report was tabled in Parliament on 9 November 2016. 
  • The second Judicial Entitlements Panel own motion recommendation report was tabled in Parliament on 20 September 2018. 
  • The third Judicial Entitlements Panel own motion recommendation report was tabled in Parliament on 1 and 3 September 2020.
  • The fourth Judicial Entitlements Panel own motion recommendation report was tabled in Parliament on 18 November 2021.

Copies can be accessed using the relevant document link published at the bottom of this page.

Before the Judicial Entitlements Panel makes an own motion recommendation, or gives an advisory opinion, it must invite a public service body Head nominated by the Attorney-General to make a submission to the Judicial Entitlements Panel providing certain, specified matters.

On 27 September 2016, the Attorney-General nominated the Secretary to the Department of Treasury and Finance as the public service body Head for the purposes of the Judicial Entitlements Act 2015.

A copy of the Instrument to nominate a relevant public service body Head under the Judicial Entitlements Act 2015 can be accessed using the relevant document link published at the bottom of this page.

Recommendation statements laid before each House of the Parliament

The Attorney-General is required to cause a statement to be laid before each House of Parliament in relation to any own motion recommendation, which sets out whether the Attorney-General intends to accept, vary, or reject the recommendation.

These statements will be published in this register:

  • The first recommendation statement was tabled in Parliament on 21 March 2017.
  • The second recommendation statement was tabled in Parliament on 6 February 2019.
  • The third recommendation statement was tabled in Parliament on 2 February 2021.
  • The fourth recommendation statement was tabled in Parliament on 22 March 2022.

A copy of each of these documents can be accessed using the relevant document link published at the bottom of this page.

Written statement of reasons provided to the Attorney-General

When making an own motion recommendation or an advisory opinion, the Judicial Entitlements Panel must invite submissions from specified people.

If the Judicial Entitlements Panel decides not to make an own motion recommendation, or give an advisory opinion, after inviting the specified people to make submissions, it is required to give its reasons for not doing so in a written statement or report to the Attorney-General. These statements will be published in this register.

Previous Judicial Remuneration Tribunal Reports and government responses

The Judicial Remuneration Tribunal (JRT) was the predecessor of the Judicial Entitlements Panel and was established under the Judicial Remuneration Tribunal Act 1995. The JRT published reports in relation to judicial entitlements, including:

  • JRT Report 2007
  • JRT Report 2010.

The Government provided formal responses to the reports of the JRT and issued certificates under the Judicial Remuneration Tribunal Act. As some of these certificates are in force today, either in part or in full, the JRT Reports and government responses are included in this register for reference. A copy of each JRT Report and the government responses to them can be accessed using the relevant document link published at the bottom of this page.

The links are to documents that have been referred to above on this page.

References in the titles of a link to the:

  • JRT refer to the Judicial Remuneration Tribunal
  • JEP refer to the Judicial Entitlements Panel
  • JE Act refer to the Judicial Entitlements Act 2015.

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