The first decision of the members of Bulgaria’s new permanent Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) was to increase their salaries by two per cent for each year served.

The main salary of the magistrates is about 2000 leva. The average years served of the SJC was 20 years, which meant that their salaries would rise to nearly 3000 leva, mediapool.bg said.

In 2006, the Parliament decreased the raise in the magistrates’ salaries for years served from two to one per cent. The new law for judicial power restored the two-per cent increase.

SJC approved the salaries, despite the proposal of the presiding Justice Minister Miglena Tacheva to postpone the voting.

Tacheva said that the increase in salaries right now is unsuitable, because of the teachers’ protests.

The teachers have been on effective strike since September 24 2007, demanding higher salaries.