Judiciary agrees with Treasury on a salary indexation of up to 50% for justice personnel

The Judicial Council confirmed a general increase of 30% for most positions —20% in 2026 and 10% in 2027— and adjustments between 35% and 50% for jurisdictional support staff. This is the most significant increase for the judiciary since 2017. The announcement was made during a meeting with representatives of judges and judicial officers, in which decisions on replacements, judicial mobility, appointment of interim staff, and territorial governance were also presented.

Santo Domingo, D. N.— The Judicial Council announced today an agreement reached with the Ministry of Finance and Economy for the salary indexation of judges and judicial employees, the result of the technical dialogue held between both institutions since July of last year within the framework of the Justice of the Future 2034 Plan.

This is the most significant salary increase received by the Judiciary since 2017, made possible thanks to the allocation of funds agreed with the Government after more than a year of negotiations. The agreement reflects the sustained commitment of the current administration to improving the working conditions of all professionals who make up the justice system. The agreement includes a general increase of 30% for most positions, distributed as 20% in 2026 and 10% in 2027. For jurisdictional support staff —secretaries, assistant lawyers, and clerks— higher adjustments are considered, between 35% and 50% depending on the position and instance, which will be applied in stages in 2026 and 2027. The announcement was made during a meeting with a broad representation of judges and judicial officers, in which the Council also presented a set of decisions aimed at strengthening the justice system.

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A broad dialogue table The meeting was attended by two judges for each instance, two representatives from each judges’ association, two representatives of the signatories of the May 8, 2026 communication, and two representatives of judicial servants, with gender equity and plurality of voices. The Council directly listened to their concerns and proposals, and recognized the value of the received approaches as input to strengthen the institution. Compensation for substitution The Council instructed to immediately complete the payment of compensation for the replacement of judges, retroactively to the month of May in applicable cases.

Mobility in the judicial career

121 proposals for promotions and transfers of judges were approved, in accordance with Law No. 327-98 on Judicial Career. The Council decided to continue with the pending phases of the process of filling positions, including the evaluation of Peace Court judge positions, and to submit to the Plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice the proposal for the 2024 Judicial Appointments process once the reconsiderations have been resolved.

Vacancy coverage and interim servers

144 personnel actions were approved —119 jurisdictional and 25 administrative— to fill vacancies in courts. The Council also arranged for the immediate appointment, without probationary period evaluation, of interim judicial employees with six months or more of seniority. Those with less than six months may be appointed after a satisfactory evaluation.

Territorial Governance

Within the framework of the Future Justice Plan 2034, the Council approved the creation of the Territorial and Participatory Governance Strategy as a permanent mechanism of the Judiciary. The departmental and district tables will be constituted within a period not exceeding fifteen days, to identify and follow up on the priority needs of each territory.

Next steps

In the coming days and weeks, the Council will process the administrative procedures for substitute payments; it will communicate the proposals for promotions and transfers; it will constitute the departmental and district tables; it will execute the actions to fix interim servers; and it will present, within a period of ninety days, the adjustments to the Budget Plan, POA and PACC with the findings of the territorial portfolio of prioritized initiatives. The Judicial Council reiterated its willingness to maintain permanent channels of dialogue with judges and judicial servants, and to move forward together in strengthening the justice system.