3 suspended Supreme Court judges exit judges’ WhatsApp group
JSC suspended the judges on Wednesday, just before a hearing on an interim order regarding a constitutional amendment.
Three Supreme Court judges who were recently suspended have left the WhatsApp group of the Supreme Court judges.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) suspended the judges on Wednesday, just before a hearing on an interim order regarding a constitutional amendment.
The suspended judges are:
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Azmiralda Zahir
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Mahaz Ali Zahir
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Husnu Suood
Their suspension follows a notification from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the JSC regarding an ongoing criminal investigation against them.
The JSC is also conducting separate ethical investigations into the judges.
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Mahaz Ali Zahir and Azmiralda Zahir are being investigated for allegedly influencing an arrest warrant involving Azmiralda’s husband, IGMH doctor Ismail Latheef.
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Suood is under investigation regarding an incident involving High Court Assistant Registrar Hussain Mohamed Haneef, who allegedly made derogatory remarks during a Supreme Court appearance on 25 October 2022.
With three judges suspended, the number of active Supreme Court judges stands at four. Under the Courts Act, a minimum of five judges is required to hear a constitutional case, leaving constitutional matters at a standstill for the time being.
On Wednesday, parliament passed an amendment to reduce the number of Supreme Court judges from seven to five. The bill was submitted by PNC MP Abdul Sattar Mohamed in his own capacity and has yet to receive presidential ratification. While some PNC members initially opposed the amendment, the party leadership has since directed members to support the bill.
