Top judicial official approves own raise

A top Serbian judicial official has stirred controversy by effectively approving a 30 percent raise of her own salary. Nata Mersarovic, who presides both over the High Judicial Council and the Supreme Court of Cassation, now has an income that combines her salary and bonuses and comes close to EUR 4,000 per month. Top judicial official approves own raise All judges of the Supreme Court of Cassation have received a raise, and the decision was made by the High Judicial Council on June 30. Since Mesarovic is president of both these institutions, she effectively gave herself a raise. The Association of Judges of Serbia and Judiciary Union say that the decision is immoral and are calling upon Mesarovic to resign. Mesarevic's monthly income is RSD 328,173, according to information from the official property card of state officials. However, B92 has acquired a copy of a document that shows that the High Judicial Council increased salaries of all judges of the highest Serbian court, the Supreme Court of Cassation, by 30 percent almost three months ago. She also receives bonuses for her work at the High Judicial Council, worth RSD 45,000, and another RSD 35,000 from the Bar Exam Commission, which brings the figure to RSD 402,625. Mesarovic has refused to make a statement for B92, but she admitted in her public announcement that she had received the raise. However, she added that the information about her income was incorrect, but did not state the exact amount of her salary. Meanwhile, the Judiciary Union says that giving raises to only one group of judges is humiliating other judicial workers. “I think it’s immoral, to say the least, because Nata Mesarovic has has people around her who help the good report and who work for a salary of 16,000 or 20,000. She said once that she could look everybody in the eye and I really don’t know how she can look her colleagues in the eye, who receive salaries of 16,000 or 20,000,” said Sladjanka Milosevic of the Judiciary Union. The Association of Judges of Serbia says that Mesarovic is in a conflict of interest because she is benefiting from her own decisions. However, although the salaries in the judiciary are frozen, the decision has been made in accordance with the law since there is a lack of judges. But according to Dragana Boljevic of the association, there is a lack of judges in all of entire Serbia, even in the courts that have a higher volume of work than the Supreme Court of Cassation. “I have to say that this is one in a series of mistakes of the High Judicial Council. I think that nothing justifies the High Judicial Council to increase salaries of some judges only, wherever they are. Judges must share the fate of the system they work in,” she said. The Association of Judges of Serbia and the Judiciary Union have repeated their request for Mesarovic to resign as soon as possible.

Top judicial official approves own raise

All judges of the Supreme Court of Cassation have received a raise, and the decision was made by the High Judicial Council on June 30.

Since Mesarović is president of both these institutions, she effectively gave herself a raise. The Association of Judges of Serbia and Judiciary Union say that the decision is immoral and are calling upon Mesarović to resign.

Mesarević's monthly income is RSD 328,173, according to information from the official property card of state officials. However, B92 has acquired a copy of a document that shows that the High Judicial Council increased salaries of all judges of the highest Serbian court, the Supreme Court of Cassation, by 30 percent almost three months ago.

She also receives bonuses for her work at the High Judicial Council, worth RSD 45,000, and another RSD 35,000 from the Bar Exam Commission, which brings the figure to RSD 402,625.

Mesarović has refused to make a statement for B92, but she admitted in her public announcement that she had received the raise. However, she added that the information about her income was incorrect, but did not state the exact amount of her salary.

Meanwhile, the Judiciary Union says that giving raises to only one group of judges is humiliating other judicial workers.

“I think it’s immoral, to say the least, because Nata Mesarović has has people around her who help the good report and who work for a salary of 16,000 or 20,000. She said once that she could look everybody in the eye and I really don’t know how she can look her colleagues in the eye, who receive salaries of 16,000 or 20,000,” said Slađanka Milošević of the Judiciary Union.

The Association of Judges of Serbia says that Mesarović is in a conflict of interest because she is benefiting from her own decisions. However, although the salaries in the judiciary are frozen, the decision has been made in accordance with the law since there is a lack of judges.

But according to Dragana Boljević of the association, there is a lack of judges in all of entire Serbia, even in the courts that have a higher volume of work than the Supreme Court of Cassation.

“I have to say that this is one in a series of mistakes of the High Judicial Council. I think that nothing justifies the High Judicial Council to increase salaries of some judges only, wherever they are. Judges must share the fate of the system they work in,” she said.

The Association of Judges of Serbia and the Judiciary Union have repeated their request for Mesarović to resign as soon as possible.