Sec. 51-47. Salaries of judges. Practice of law prohibited. Membership on board of directors of bank prohibited. Longevity payments.
Sec. 51-47. Salaries of judges. Practice of law prohibited. Membership on
board of directors of bank prohibited. Longevity payments. (a) The judges of the
Superior Court, judges of the Appellate Court and judges of the Supreme Court shall
receive annually salaries as follows:
(1) On and after April 1, 2002, (A) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, one
hundred forty-nine thousand five hundred eighty-two dollars; (B) the Chief Court Administrator if a judge of the Supreme Court, Appellate Court or Superior Court, one
hundred forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty-eight dollars; (C) each associate
judge of the Supreme Court, one hundred thirty-eight thousand four hundred four dollars;
(D) the Chief Judge of the Appellate Court, one hundred thirty-six thousand eight hundred seventy-three dollars; (E) each judge of the Appellate Court, one hundred twenty-nine thousand nine hundred eighty-eight dollars; (F) the Deputy Chief Court Administrator if a judge of the Superior Court, one hundred twenty-seven thousand six hundred
seventeen dollars; (G) each judge of the Superior Court, one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars.
(2) On and after January 1, 2005, (A) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, one
hundred fifty-seven thousand eight hundred nine dollars; (B) the Chief Court Administrator if a judge of the Supreme Court, Appellate Court or Superior Court, one hundred
fifty-one thousand six hundred forty-four dollars; (C) each associate judge of the Supreme Court, one hundred forty-six thousand sixteen dollars; (D) the Chief Judge of the
Appellate Court, one hundred forty-four thousand four hundred one dollars; (E) each
judge of the Appellate Court, one hundred thirty-seven thousand one hundred thirty-seven dollars; (F) the Deputy Chief Court Administrator if a judge of the Superior Court,
one hundred thirty-four thousand six hundred thirty-six dollars; (G) each judge of the
Superior Court, one hundred thirty-one thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars.
(3) On and after January 1, 2006, (A) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, one
hundred sixty-six thousand four hundred eighty-nine dollars; (B) the Chief Court Administrator if a judge of the Supreme Court, Appellate Court or Superior Court, one
hundred fifty-nine thousand nine hundred eighty-four dollars; (C) each associate judge
of the Supreme Court, one hundred fifty-four thousand forty-seven dollars; (D) the Chief
Judge of the Appellate Court, one hundred fifty-two thousand three hundred forty-three
dollars; (E) each judge of the Appellate Court, one hundred forty-four thousand six
hundred eighty dollars; (F) the Deputy Chief Court Administrator if a judge of the
Superior Court, one hundred forty-two thousand forty-one dollars; (G) each judge of
the Superior Court, one hundred thirty-nine thousand one hundred twenty-eight dollars.
(4) On and after January 1, 2007, (A) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, one
hundred seventy-five thousand six hundred forty-five dollars; (B) the Chief Court Administrator if a judge of the Supreme Court, Appellate Court or Superior Court, one
hundred sixty-eight thousand seven hundred eighty-three dollars; (C) each associate
judge of the Supreme Court, one hundred sixty-two thousand five hundred twenty dollars; (D) the Chief Judge of the Appellate Court, one hundred sixty thousand seven
hundred twenty-two dollars; (E) each judge of the Appellate Court, one hundred fifty-two thousand six hundred thirty-seven dollars; (F) the Deputy Chief Court Administrator
if a judge of the Superior Court, one hundred forty-nine thousand eight hundred fifty-three dollars; (G) each judge of the Superior Court, one hundred forty-six thousand
seven hundred eighty dollars.
(b) In addition to the salary such judge is entitled to receive under subsection (a)
of this section, a judge designated as the administrative judge of the appellate system
shall receive one thousand dollars in annual salary, each Superior Court judge designated
as the administrative judge of a judicial district shall receive one thousand dollars in
annual salary and each Superior Court judge designated as the chief administrative judge
for facilities, administrative appeals, judicial marshal service or judge trial referees or
for the Family, Juvenile, Criminal or Civil Division of the Superior Court shall receive
one thousand dollars in annual salary.
(c) Each such judge shall be an elector and a resident of this state, shall be a member
of the bar of the state of Connecticut and shall not engage in private practice, nor on or
after July 1, 1985, be a member of any board of directors or of any advisory board of
any state bank and trust company, state bank or savings and loan association, national
banking association or federal savings bank or savings and loan association. Nothing
in this subsection shall preclude a senior judge from participating in any alternative
dispute resolution program approved by STA-FED ADR, Inc.
(d) Each such judge, excluding any senior judge, who has completed not less than
ten years of service as a judge of either the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court, or the
Superior Court, or of any combination of such courts, or of the Court of Common Pleas,
the Juvenile Court or the Circuit Court, or other state service or service as an elected
officer of the state, or any combination of such service, shall receive semiannual longevity payments based on service as a judge of any or all of such six courts, or other state
service or service as an elected officer of the state, or any combination of such service,
completed as of the first day of July and the first day of January of each year, as follows:
(1) A judge who has completed ten or more years but less than fifteen years of
service shall receive one-quarter of three per cent of the annual salary payable under
subsection (a) of this section.
(2) A judge who has completed fifteen or more years but less than twenty years of
service shall receive one-half of three per cent of the annual salary payable under subsection (a) of this section.
(3) A judge who has completed twenty or more years but less than twenty-five years
of service shall receive three-quarters of three per cent of the annual salary payable
under subsection (a) of this section.
(4) A judge who has completed twenty-five or more years of service shall receive
three per cent of the annual salary payable under subsection (a) of this section.
(1949 Rev., S. 3597; 1955, S. 1965d; March, 1958, P.A. 27, S. 15; 1959, P.A. 531, S. 19; 670, S. 1; February, 1965,
P.A. 331, S. 12; 1967, P.A. 656, S. 26; 795; 1969, P.A. 601, S. 1; 1972, P.A. 281, S. 19; P.A. 74-183, S. 28, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 10a, 35, 681; P.A. 77-452, S. 13, 72; 77-576, S. 30, 45, 65; P.A. 78-377, S. 1, 4; P.A. 79-608, S. 1, 10; P.A. 80-337, S. 1, 13; 80-483, S. 132, 186; P.A. 82-248, S. 22; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-35, S. 1, 9; P.A. 84-399, S. 1, 17; 84-435,
S. 1, 6; P.A. 85-517, S. 1, 5; P.A. 86-328, S. 2, 3; P.A. 87-198, S. 1, 6; 87-476; 87-508, S. 5, 10; P.A. 88-364, S. 65, 123;
P.A. 90-328, S. 1, 2; P.A. 92-226, S. 27, 28; P.A. 93-108, S. 1, 6; 93-379, S. 3, 8; P.A. 95-191, S. 2, 4; July 21 Sp. Sess.
P.A. 97-1, S. 4, 8; P.A. 98-197, S. 2, 8; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-1, S. 37, 51; P.A. 00-231, S. 8, 10; P.A. 01-186, S. 14; May
Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 12.)
History: 1959 acts raised salaries of chief justice from $20,000 to $22,500; of associate judges from $19,000 to $21,500;
of judges of the superior court from $18,500 to $21,000; of common pleas court judges from $15,500 to $17,000; and of
judges of juvenile court from $13,000 to $15,000, and stipulated latter not to engage in private practice; 1965 act increased
salary of chief justice to $30,000; associate judges to $29,000; superior court judges to $27,500; common pleas court judges
to $22,500, and juvenile court judges to $20,000; 1967 acts raised salary of chief justice to $33,000, established salary of
chief court administrator at $33,000, established salary of circuit court judges at $17,500 and of chief judge of circuit court
at $20,000 (salary provisions for circuit court judges formerly found in repealed Sec. 51-47a), required that all judges be
members of state bar and extended prohibition against private practice to apply to all judges; 1969 act raised salary of
circuit court judges to $21,500 and salary of chief judge of circuit court to $23,500; 1972 act raised chief justice's salary
to $40,000, chief court administrator's salary to $38,000 and associate judges' salaries to $36,000, established salary of
chief judge of superior court at $35,000, raised other superior court judges' salaries to $34,500, established salary of chief
judge of common pleas court at $30,000, raised other common pleas judges' salaries to $28,500, established salary of chief
judge of juvenile court at $28,500, raised other juvenile court judges' salaries to $26,500, raised salary of circuit court
chief judge to $28,500 and other circuit court judges' salaries to $26,500; P.A. 74-183 deleted salary provisions for circuit
court judges, raised salary of chief judges of common pleas and juvenile courts to $32,500 and raised salary of other judges
of juvenile court to $28,500; P.A. 76-436 deleted salary for chief judge of superior court, establishing same salary for all
superior court judges, deleted salaries for common pleas and juvenile court judges and added new salary provisions to
reflect merger of common pleas and juvenile courts into superior court, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-452 specified that
salary set for chief court administrator applies "if he is a judge of the supreme or superior court", effective July 1, 1978;
P.A. 77-576 specified computation basis for third through fifth and succeeding years of service and replaced previous
provisions which insured that superior court judges serving on July 1, 1978, and former common pleas and juvenile court
judges would not receive reduced salaries after merger with new provisions re salaries of such judges and, effective July
1, 1979, raised chief justice's salary to $41,000, raised chief court administrator's salary to $41,000, raised associate judges
salaries to $40,000, raised salary for superior court judges with five or more years of service from $34,500 to $38,500,
raised salaries for judges hired on or after July 1, 1978, with one year of service from $29,700 to $34,500, for those with
two years of service from $30,900 to $35,400, for those with three years of service from $32,100 to $36,500, for those
with four years of service from $33,300 to $37,500; P.A. 78-377 clarified provisions re effect of P.A. 76-436 and raised
salary of chief justice to $44,000 and salary of chief court administrator to $42,000, effective January 1, 1970; P.A. 79-608 raised chief justice's salary to $46,640, raised chief court administrator's salary to $44,520, raised associate justices'
salaries to $42,400, raised salaries for superior court judges serving on June 30, 1978, to $40,810, raised initial salaries
from $28,500 to $30,210, raised salaries to $36,500 for one year's service, to $37,630 for two years' service, to $38,600
for three years' service, to $39,750 for four years' service, and to $40,810 for five years' service; P.A. 80-337 divided
section into Subsecs., revised salaries effective January 1, 1981, raising chief justice's salary to $51,093, chief court
administrator's salary to $48,846, associate judges' salaries to $46,600, superior court judges' salaries (if serving June 30,
1978) to $43,873, newly appointed judges' salaries to $36,806, salaries for one year's service to $41,046, salaries for two
years' service to $41,753, salaries for three years' service to $42,460, salaries for four years' service to $43,166 and for
five years' service to $43,873, and added Subdivs. (2) to (4) in Subsec. (a) re future salary increases and additional payments;
P.A. 80-483 made technical changes; P.A. 82-248 made technical revision, rewording some provisions, but made no
substantive change; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-35 added "judges of the appellate court" and revised salaries effective July 1,
1983, raising chief justice's salary to $63,600, chief court administrator's salary to $61,500, associate judge's salary to
$58,300, appellate court judge's salary to $55,700 and superior court judge's salary to $53,000, and added Subdivs. (2)
and (3) re future salary increases; P.A. 84-399 added Subsec. (d) re longevity payments; P.A. 84-435 added provision
prohibiting judge from being member of board of directors or advisory board of any state bank and trust company, state
bank or savings and loan association, national banking association or federal savings bank or savings and loan association,
effective July 1, 1985; P.A. 85-517 revised salaries effective July 1, 1986, raising chief justice's salary to $75,960, chief
court administrator's salary to $72,373, associate judge's salary to $69,103, the chief presiding judge's salary to $70,163,
appellate court judge's salary to $65,938, the deputy chief court administrator's salary to $64,483 and superior court judge's
salary to $62,878 and added Subdiv. (3) re salary increases on or after July 1, 1987; P.A. 86-328 revised salaries effective
July 1, 1986, by increasing chief justice's salary to $77,960, chief court administrator's salary to $74,373, and associate
judge's salary to $71,103; revised salaries effective April 1, 1987, increasing chief justice's salary to $89,460, chief court
administrator's salary to $76,873, associate judge's salary to $73,603, chief presiding judge's salary to $72,663, appellate
court judge's salary to $68,438, deputy chief court administrator's salary to $66,983 and superior court judge's salary to
$65,378; and revised salaries effective July 1, 1987, increasing chief justice's salary to $84,483, chief court administrator's
salary to $80,717, associate judge's salary to $77,283, chief presiding judge's salary to $76,296, appellate court judge's
salary to $71,860, deputy chief court administrator's salary to $70,332 and superior court judge's salary to $68,647; P.A.
87-198 substituted "chief judge" for "chief presiding judge"; P.A. 87-476 deleted Subdiv. (1) of Subsec. (a) re salaries on
and after July 1, 1985, and added Subdivs. (4), (5) and (6) re salary increases on and after July 1, 1988; July 1, 1989, and
July 1, 1990; P.A. 87-508 amended Subsec. (c) to require that judges be electors and residents of this state; P.A. 88-364
amended Subsec. (a) by deleting references to chief "presiding" judge of appellate court; P.A. 90-328, effective July 1,
1991, amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provisions re salary on and after July 1, 1986, April 1, 1987, July 1, 1987, and July
1, 1988, and added provisions re salary increases on and after July 1, 1991, July 1, 1992 and July, 1, 1993; and amended
Subsec. (b) to provide that administrative judge of appellate system, chief administrative judge for facilities and chief
administrative judge for the juvenile division shall receive an additional $1,000 in annual salary; P.A. 92-226 amended
Subsec. (d) to include service as a prosecutorial official of the judicial department, or service as a defense attorney of the
judicial department or the public defender services commission, or any combination of such service; P.A. 93-108 amended
Subsec. (c) to permit senior judge to participate in alternative dispute resolution program approved by STA-FED ADR,
Inc., effective June 3, 1993; P.A. 93-379 amended Subsec. (d) to permit credit for longevity purposes for any other state
service or service as an elected officer of the state or any combination of service, effective June 30, 1993; P.A. 95-191
amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provisions re salary on and after July 1, 1989, July 1, 1990, July 1, 1991, and July 1,
1992, and adding provisions re salary increases on and after July 1, 1995, and July 1, 1996, effective July 1, 1995; July 21
Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-1 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdivs. (1) and (2) re salary increases on and after July 1,
1993, and July 1, 1995, redesignating former Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (1) and adding new Subdivs. (2) and (3) re salary
increases on and after October 1, 1997, and October 1, 1998, respectively, effective July 23, 1997; P.A. 98-197 amended
Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re salaries on and after July 1, 1996, and adding Subdiv. (3) re salary increases on and
after October 1, 1999, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-1 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdivs. (4) and
(5) re salary increases, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 00-231 amended Subsec. (a) to delete former Subdivs. (1) to (3),
inclusive, renumber former Subdivs. (4) and (5) as Subdivs. (1) and (2) and add new Subdiv. (3) re salary increases on
and after April 1, 2002, effective January 3, 2001; P.A. 01-186 amended Subsec. (b) by adding judge for administrative
appeals, judicial marshal service or judge trial referees; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former
Subdivs. (1) and (2) re salaries on and after April 1, 2000 and 2001, redesignating existing Subdiv. (3) re salaries on and
after April 1, 2002, as new Subdiv. (1) and adding new Subdivs. (2) to (4) re salary increases for judges on and after January
1, 2005, 2006 and 2007, effective January 1, 2005.
Prohibition against practice of law by judges was rule of policy prior to enactment of statute. 72 C. 437. Power to
determine a salary system for compensation of judges is a legislative power; section does not violate separation of powers
nor equal protection clauses of state or federal constitutions. 179 C. 552. Cited. 213 C. 54.
System adopted by state of paying salaries on biweekly basis held to result in underpayment of public officer on a
statutory annual salary. 20 CS 417.
Subsec. (c):
P.A. 93-108 cited. 226 C. 475.