Judiciary legal staff say MVR 396 cut from salaries under harmonization, petition underway

A group of legal officers working in the judiciary are preparing to submit a petition to Parliament, alleging that the government’s pay harmonization policy has resulted in a reduction of their salaries.

The petition, which is being drafted for submission to the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee, the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA), and the President’s Office, has so far been signed by around 120 court employees, according to a staff member who spoke to Sun on condition of anonymity.

Under the harmonization policy, salaries of over 20,000 government employees, including judicial and council staff, were revised this month. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has pledged that employees who did not receive a raise this year will see their salaries increased in 2026.

However, legal officers argue that the new structure has reduced their pay by MVR 396, despite increases for other court positions. For instance, the salary of an assistant director reportedly rose by MVR 9,346, according to the letter prepared by the petitioners.

The letter emphasizes that legal officers have historically been classified separately from administrative or managerial staff within the judiciary. It claims that this distinction was not preserved in the new pay structure, leading to a loss of allowances and a net salary decrease.

The petition also highlights disparities in how harmonization was applied across courts, with some legal officers receiving no adjustments while others in similar roles saw significant increases.

President Muizzu has stated that the Pay Commission will engage with all government offices to address concerns arising from the harmonization process. The 2026 state budget includes MVR 1.7 billion to fund salary increases for employees who have not yet benefited from the policy.

Equal pay across government institutions was a key pledge in President Muizzu’s campaign.