Parliament dismisses 2 Supreme Court judges

The Parliament on Wednesday voted to remove two sitting judges of the Supreme Court, Dr Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir, following a recommendation by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The JSC had decided to remove the judges on allegations that they influenced the Criminal Court's handling of the arrest and detention of Azmiralda’s husband, Dr Ismail Latheef, in connection with an incident at a massage parlour.

Despite Counsel General Fatimath Filza advising the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee that the JSC's decision to investigate the judges was procedurally incorrect, the committee proceeded with its report. The report was submitted to Parliament for a vote.

During Tuesday’s sitting, members debated the dismissal for one hour, with the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) receiving 40 minutes of speaking time. At the end of the debate, 79 members cast their votes on the dismissal of each judge. The vote breakdown was:

In addition to Azmiralda and Mahaz, former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Suood had earlier resigned. He was suspended in February, along with the two judges removed this week.

The suspensions occurred as the Supreme Court was preparing to hear a case involving an interim order related to new constitutional conditions under which a Member of Parliament could lose their seat upon expulsion from their political party. The case was delayed for more than two months following the suspension of the three justices.

At the time of the suspension, only four judges remained on the Supreme Court bench. According to the Courts Act, constitutional matters must be heard by a bench of at least five judges. When a judge resigns or is removed, the composition of the bench changes.

The dismissals have drawn international attention. The United Nations and several foreign organisations have issued statements expressing concern over the removals. The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) also issued a statement on Tuesday regarding the developments.