12 apply for Supreme Court vacancies
The two vacancies arose after the parliament removed Justices Mahaz Ali Zahir and Azmiralda Zahir.
A total of twelve candidates have submitted applications for two vacant positions on the Supreme Court bench, following the dismissal of Justices Mahaz Ali Zahir and Azmiralda Zahir.
Applications for the two posts opened on Saturday and closed at 12 noon Thursday. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) had announced the vacancies after both justices were removed from office last Wednesday over findings of misconduct.
Among the applicants are sitting judges and individuals with previous judicial or prosecutorial experience. The candidates are:
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1-
Mohamed Faisal – Chief Justice of the High Court
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2-
Mohamed Wahid Ibrahim – Former Member of Parliament
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3-
Ibrahim Ali Anmol
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4-
Mohamed Ibrahim
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5-
Abdullah Hameed – Former High Court Judge
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6-
Abdul Ghani Mohamed – Former Supreme Court Justice
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7-
Ahmed Hailam – Former Chief Justice of the Criminal Court
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8-
Shujau Usman – Former Chief Justice of the High Court
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9-
Mohamed Saleem – Current High Court Judge
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10-
Mohamed Ragib Ahmed – Former judge and former political appointee
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11-
Aishath Fazuna Ahmed – Former Assistant Prosecutor General
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12-
Mariyam Nihayath – Former Deputy Prosecutor General and Civil Court Judge
The two vacancies arose after the JSC ruled that Justices Mahaz Ali Zahir and Azmiralda Zahir had committed misconduct. The ruling was followed by a decision in parliament to remove the justices from the bench.
The JSC’s action was met with criticism from the Parliament Secretary General and members of the legal community.
In February, two justices, including former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Suood, were suspended by the JSC. Following the suspensions, then Justice Husnu Suood resigned, citing concerns over executive influence on the judiciary. The government denied these allegations.
The three Supreme Court justices were suspended indefinitely during deliberations on a case concerning constitutional changes related to parliamentary seat loss. As a result, proceedings on the matter have stalled.
In April, Hussain Shaheed was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court, succeeding Husnu Suood. The selection process for the current Supreme Court vacancies will now proceed through the review and approval mechanisms mandated by law.
