Committee approves dismissal of 2 Supreme Court judges
The suspensions of Mahaz and Azmiralda, along with a third judge who subsequently resigned, occurred in February.
The Judiciary Committee of the Parliament on Sunday approved the removal of Supreme Court judges Mahaz Ali Zahir and Azmiralda Zahir following a review of the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) proposal and its associated procedures.
The JSC recommended the removal of the two judges over allegations that they influenced a decision by the Criminal Court regarding the arrest and detention of Azmiralda’s husband, Dr Ismail Latheef, who was detained at a massage parlour.
The committee convened a closed-door session on the matter and determined that the JSC had followed due process in arriving at its recommendation. As a result, the proposal to dismiss the two judges was forwarded to the full Parliament for consideration.
In a related matter, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is conducting an investigation into the involvement of Mahaz and Azmiralda in alleged attempts to influence Criminal Court judges. The ACC informed the JSC of these allegations, which led to the suspension of the judges.
Azmiralda filed a complaint with the ACC alleging misconduct by its President, Adam Shamil, claiming he influenced the investigation. She also filed a police complaint accusing Shamil of providing false information. The police did not proceed with the case.
The suspensions of Mahaz and Azmiralda, along with a third judge who subsequently resigned, occurred in February. These suspensions coincided with a scheduled hearing on a constitutional case regarding the application of a new clause on parliamentary seat loss.
The constitutional case involves a recent amendment that enables MPs to lose their seats if expelled from their political party. The case was paused for over two months following the suspensions.
During this period, the Supreme Court operated with four judges. Under the Courts Act, constitutional cases require a minimum bench of five justices. Bench composition can change when a judge resigns or is removed.
