Committee approves Saleem, Hameed to Supreme Court

The Judiciary Committee of the Parliament has approved the appointments of High Court Justice Mohamed Saleem and former High Court Justice Abdulla Hameed to the Supreme Court.

The decision was reached at a meeting of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) held earlier Wednesday. The proposal to appoint the two candidates to the apex court was considered and unanimously supported by the committee.

The motion has been forwarded to the full Parliament for final approval.

Speaking during the committee session, Holhudhoo MP Abdul Sattar Mohamed, a member of the Progressive National Congress (PNC), said both nominees had served in the High Court and held legal qualifications. He also commented on the matter of disqualification, stating that prior roles such as legal practice or judicial positions should not constitute a basis for exclusion.

Vacancies in the Supreme Court arose following the removal of former justices Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir. Their removal was carried out by Parliament, where the PNC holds a super-majority.

The JSC had found both former justices guilty of misconduct. The disciplinary proceedings coincided with a pending case at the Supreme Court regarding the enforcement of new constitutional provisions related to party membership and potential loss of parliamentary seats. The case has been suspended following the removal of the justices.