Bar Council demands open sessions on judges’ removal

The Bar Council of the Maldives has called on the Judiciary Committee of the Parliament to hold open meetings regarding the dismissal of Supreme Court Judges Mahaz Ali Zahir and Dr. Azmiralda Zahir.

The move follows a controversial decision by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to remove both judges from the bench.

The removal came in the wake of the arrest of Dr. Ismail Latheef—Azmiralda’s husband and a doctor at IGMH—at a massage parlor. The JSC convened on Sunday to decide on the matter, but instead of forwarding the dismissal directly to the full Parliament, the case was referred to the Judiciary Committee for further review.

The committee held its first meeting Monday, which ended with a unanimous decision to spend more time reviewing the JSC’s report and relevant documents before proceeding.

In a statement released Monday afternoon, the Bar Council urged the Judiciary Committee to ensure full transparency, requesting that if the judges have no objections, the meetings should be open to the public.

The Council emphasised the importance of upholding due process, taking into account the rights of the accused, and ensuring that all decisions are based on clear evidence.

Among its recommendations, the Bar Council asked the JSC to:

In a related development, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir herself has written to Parliament requesting to appear before the Judiciary Committee. The committee had earlier agreed to launch an investigation following her formal appeal.