Expansion of the Federal Court empire sees Registrar on more pay than the judges … Enlarged title … Massive expansion of budgets, staff and judicial officers under territorial sway of bureaucratic operator par excellence … Personal submission to President of the Remuneration Tribunal 

Top of the chart is the Chief Justice of the High Court on a base salary just shy of $600,000 a year. Other High Court justices are on a base of $541,000, while “Chuckles” Allsop collects $540,880 with other Federal Court judges on a minimum of $458,840. 

All are on tier one travel entitlements, i.e. highest available within Australia and first or business class for overseas. 

The table of remuneration table can be perused here, at leisure. 

What is noticeable is that Warwick Soden, the registrar of the Federal Court, is on a base salary nearly seven percent higher than that of the judges of the court he administers – $489,020, plus tier one travel. 

This is in contrast to the principal registrar of the High Court, who is on a base remuneration almost 10 percent lower than those of the puisne judges. 

It could be that Soden’s personal overture to Remuneration Tribunal chairman, John Conde, struck a chord. 

At the end of 2015 the Federal Court Registrar wrote to Conde pointing out that his title was soon to be renamed “Chief Executive Officer and Principle Registrar”.  

He indicates that his empire is to absorb the National Native Title Tribunal and soon thereafter the corporate services of the Family and Federal Circuit Courts. 

Overall, Wokka said he will be presiding over an increased budget appropriation from $94 million to $240 million in 2014-2015 figures, with an expanded retinue of judges from 46 to 142 and an increase in staff from 400 to 1,180. 

This increase in his role “makes my position in the judicial related category by far the largest in size and responsibility”. 

“There is also an important issue of breadth of role for my position compared to existing judicial related positions and the proposed new positions for the merge of the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court into the Federal Court.” 

Further, while his title at the time was fixed by statute as “Registrar”, under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act, it also assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer. 

“My unofficial title used for business purposes is ‘Registrar and Chief Executive Officer’. That reflects my actual role.” 

You can read Soden’s direct approach to Conde here …