Defi Defi • 1 week ago

PRB 2026: Salary Review for the Office of the Attorney General

PRB 2026: Salary Review for the Office of the Attorney General

In its 2026 report, the Pay Research Bureau (PRB) emphasizes the importance of retaining skills, enhancing the attractiveness of public legal careers, and recognizing the responsibilities of senior officers in the Office of the Attorney General.

The PRB acknowledges that, despite improvements made in previous assessments, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) continues to face recruitment and retention challenges, largely due to more favorable conditions offered by private practice. In this context, several measures are either continued or adjusted.

Solicitor-General

For the Solicitor-General, the PRB recommends, as an exception and subject to the approval of the High Powered Committee, that the current officeholder as of December 31, 2025, may personally receive retirement benefits equivalent to those of a judge, along with a monthly housing allowance of Rs 12,650. The PRB maintains the principle of an annual Judicial and Legal Allowance to assist judicial and legal officers with professional expenses, including increased clothing costs.

Recommended Amounts

  • Rs 42,560 per year for the following positions:

    • Solicitor-General
    • Parliamentary Counsel
    • Deputy Solicitor-General

  • Rs 26,680 per year for the following positions:

    • Director, Attorney Services
    • Assistant Solicitor-General
    • Chief Legal Secretary
    • Chief State Attorney
    • Senior Assistant Parliamentary Counsel
    • Assistant Parliamentary Counsel
    • Deputy Chief State Attorney
    • Legal Secretary
    • Principal State Counsel
    • Principal State Attorney
    • Assistant Legal Secretary
    • Curator of Vacant Estates
    • Senior State Counsel
    • Senior State Attorney
    • Assistant Curator of Vacant Estates
    • State Counsel
    • State Attorney

Salary Scale

  • The salary scale places the Solicitor-General at the top, with a monthly salary set at Rs 222,000.
  • The Deputy Solicitor-General and Parliamentary Counsel will receive Rs 190,000.
  • The Director of Attorney Services will earn Rs 166,000.
  • Positions like Assistant Solicitor-General, Chief Legal Secretary, or Chief State Attorney will be compensated at Rs 162,000.
  • The salary for Assistant Parliamentary Counsel and Deputy Chief State Attorney is set at Rs 150,000.
  • Organizationally, the report recommends merging the grades of Legal Assistant and Senior Legal Assistant, which will now be grouped under the designation Legal Assistant/Senior Legal Assistant.

Stipend for Pupils Increased to Rs 35,840

Finally, the PRB proposes an increase in the stipend for Pupil Barristers and Pupil Attorneys undergoing their practical training prior to registration at the AGO. Their monthly allowance will rise from Rs 25,525 to Rs 35,840, aligning it with the regime applicable to graduate trainees in other public service sectors.

Weekend Court Never Sleeps!

Many believe justice is inactive during public holidays and weekends. However, this is no longer the case since amendments to the Bail Act in 2012. Thanks to this reform, the Weekend Court was established on February 4, 2012, and continues to function fully.

According to Me Taij Dabycharun, during the 2012 budget, former Finance Minister Xavier Duval emphasized the need to make the judicial system more efficient, accessible, and capable of delivering swift justice. "Justice delayed is justice denied," he noted. The amendments to the Bail Act aimed to prevent prison overcrowding.

Thus, the lawyer explains, when a person is arrested the day before a holiday, on a holiday, or during a weekend, they can be granted provisional release without waiting two or three days in custody to appear before the court. However, this depends on the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) or the Weekend Court if a bail application is discussed.

In practice, the Bail and Remand Court becomes the Weekend Court during public holidays and weekends. With this reform, Me Taij Dabycharun points out, an individual's constitutional rights are not violated, and they receive justice in a reasonable time frame.

If the DPP Opposes and the Weekend Court Grants Release...

In this case, Me Taij Dabycharun emphasizes that the DPP's office or the police commissioner can request a stay of the court's decision. Meanwhile, the individual will remain detained until the Supreme Court rules.

The DPP has seven days to file their request with the Supreme Court. If no request is made within this period, the individual must appear before the court to be released in accordance with the Weekend Court's decision.

Who Works There?

  • Five district court magistrates rotate over a six-month period, including the presiding officer.
  • Two court officers and two "attendants".
  • One "Police Prosecutor".
  • One or two officers from the DPP's office.

How Does It Work?

With this system, a person can be released on the same day as their appearance. They are released on bail and must then appear the next day or on the next court operating day to pay the amount of their bail as set by the Weekend Court. This is because the cash register is closed during public holidays and weekends.

The Catch!

Court officers working at the Weekend Court, including when it sits beyond normal hours, do not receive regular remuneration. They only receive an "ad hoc allowance" each month.

Practical Information

  • The Weekend Court is held in the New Court House building on Pope Hennessy Street in Port Louis, operational from 10 AM to 2 PM.
  • Beyond 2 PM, the presiding officer must seek permission from the Master and Registrar of the Supreme Court to sit beyond that hour.

Related Stories