Public judicial officials are set to receive salary boosts following a bi-annual meeting, Justice Ministry spokesman Chhin Malin said yesterday.

Currently, he said, the “average is about a $300 [per month] salary for prosecutors and judges . . . It will increase by between 40 to 50 per cent, coupled with some other bonuses and travel and health [allowances] to make them to live in dignity.”

“It is part of the reform and to fight and prevent corruption,” Malin said, without elaborating.

“It will be introduced soon, and when it’s introduced we will know how each salary figure will increase based on rank, as the working group has been working their arms and legs off,” he said.

Am Sam Ath, a technical supervisor for rights group Licadho, said “increasing salaries for judicial officers is good, but if we do not make real reform in the court system, it does not matter how much we provide for them, as there is still corruption”.

Sam Ath said the courts need to be independent and judges should not be members of political parties, but that such reform would not be easy.