President nominates Saleem, Hameed to Supreme Court

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has submitted to Parliament the nominations of High Court Justice Mohamed Saleem and former High Court Justice Abdulla Hameed for appointment to the Supreme Court.

The nominations follow two vacancies on the Supreme Court bench after Parliament passed the removal of Justices Mahaz Ali Zahir and Dr Azmiralda Zahir on 14 May. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) had conducted interviews with 12 candidates before recommending Hameed and Saleem for appointment.

The President’s letter requesting parliamentary approval for the two nominees, based on the JSC’s recommendation, was read in Parliament Monday. The matter has now been referred to the Judiciary Committee for review.

Under the Judiciary Act, the process for appointing a Supreme Court judge involves the JSC shortlisting and forwarding candidates to the President, who then selects and submits the preferred names to Parliament. Upon parliamentary approval, the President is required to appoint the judge within seven days.

The recent vacancies resulted from a parliamentary decision to remove Azmiralda and Mahaz from office, following findings by the government-controlled JSC that both were guilty of misconduct. The Parliament, led by the PNC’s super-majority, approved the removal after the parliamentary counsel general, Fathimath Filza, advised that the JSC had initiated disciplinary proceedings in an unlawful manner.

Justices Azmiralda and Mahaz, along with former Justice Husnu Suood, had been suspended by the JSC in February. Suood subsequently resigned, citing government influence on the judiciary. The government has denied these allegations.

The suspension of the three justices occurred as the Supreme Court was preparing to hear a case concerning amendments to the Constitution that could lead to the disqualification of members of Parliament. The case remains stalled due to the suspensions.