Taken to its extreme the media covered stories of certain magistrates absenting themselves from their courts during this time, on the pretext of being under stress due to the possibility of the new motor vehicle allowances not being approved. This, if true was a lightly veiled attempt to pressurise MPs to approve the new salary dispensation. The Committees were also made aware of meetings convened in court buildings ostensibly to organise in protest against any potential negative outcome of the Parliamentary process.