Assize of Worth
Market-style accountability for the judiciary through citizen juries and performance-linked pay.
Assize of Worth — Judicial Review System
Core Mechanism
Judges begin with a fixed salary of 4 Troy pounds (48 oz) of gold per year.
Twice annually, a randomly selected jury of 12 British citizens reviews the judge’s recent decisions and written rationales.
The jury votes by simple majority to raise or lower the judge’s annual salary by 1 troy ounce.
If the jury is evenly split, salary remains unchanged.
Incentives & Safeguards
This system makes corruption extremely expensive — buying a judge would require sustained influence over many random juries.
Poor judges will see their pay decline until the role becomes unsustainable. Outstanding judges can earn significantly more than today.
Reviews are held publicly in the courtroom, with advocates presenting arguments. The judge sits in the dock.
The Goal
A judiciary that is directly accountable to the citizenry it serves, with strong financial incentives for fairness, diligence, and constitutional fidelity.