The Island's top judge is calling on Government to boost salaries within the judicial system - or risk seeing standards drop.

Speaking at a Special Sitting in Supreme Court One yesterday, Chief Justice Austin Ward, who steps down from the post on Friday, said that current salaries are not sufficient to attract judges of a high enough calibre to the Island.

And he also called on Government to speed up plans for a new court building, saying that the current facility was no longer suitable.

The court sat in recognition of Mr. Ward's ten years of service as Chief Justice with notable members of the legal community paying tribute to the top judge.

Mr. Ward took the opportunity to address the needs of the system he has served however.

Expressing “concern with the area of staffing and the challenge of recruiting suitable personnel as judges and other judicial officers”, he said: “This is a premier jurisdiction - we will not be able to attract high quality Puisne judges when remuneration is only $135,000 a year.

“Two new Puisne judges came on board last year, but for how long can we retain them? This is something that has to be addressed by Government.”

He pointed out that management consultants Ernst & Young along with Government's management consultants had looked into the issues of judicial officers, “but notwithstanding, nothing has been done”, he said.

Attorney General (AG) Larry Mussenden noted Mr.Ward's concerns last night.

After ten years in the post of Chief Justice, there is no one better qualified to make such observations than Mr.Ward, he suggested.

“I respect those observations,” said Mr. Mussenden, in his first court appearance as AG.

But he declined to comment further on systemic problems, saying: “This was a special sitting for the Chief Justice and I cannot detract from this very special occasion.”

Addressing his concerns with the Supreme Court buildings, Mr.Ward said: “This room where we are was in used in the middle of the 19th Century and it is still the best court room we have.”

But he added that Bermuda needed to come in line with other jurisdictions and to create a new physical plant for the Supreme Court.

“We are currently using the old Salvation Army building on Court Street, but the owner is planning to demolish the building and that could come at a moments notice. “Supreme Court Three was a temporary answer designed to deal with the increase in criminal cases.

“For this I say, Bermuda should do no less and I ask that the AG talk to his Cabinet colleagues.”