President appoints Saleem, Hameed to Supreme Court
Parliament removed justices Mahaz Ali Zahir and Azmiralda Zahir from the judiciary.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has appointed Abdulla Hameed and Mohamed Saleem as Justices of the Supreme Court of the Maldives.
The oath of office was administered by Supreme Court Justice Aisha Shujune Muhammad, during a ceremony held Wednesday afternoon at the President’s Office.
Following the administration of the oath, President Dr Muizzu formally presented the letters of appointment to the newly appointed Justices.
The vacancies arose following the Parliament's decision on 14th of last month to remove justices Mahaz Ali Zahir and Azmiralda Zahir from the judiciary. The decision to appoint Hameed and Saleem was made by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and endorsed by the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee.
The previous removal of Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir was based on findings by the JSC, which concluded that the judges had committed misconduct. The Parliament, with a PNC supermajority, endorsed their removal.
The disciplinary process initiated by the JSC was questioned by Parliamentary Counsel General Fathimath Filza, who advised that the investigation into the judges had begun without following the proper procedure.
In February, the JSC suspended Azmiralda Zahir, Mahaz Ali Zahir, and former judge Husnu Suood. Suood subsequently resigned from the judiciary, citing concerns over government influence on the courts. The government has denied the allegations.
The three suspensions occurred shortly before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear a case concerning amendments to the Constitution that could affect party membership and result in the loss of parliamentary seats. The case has since stalled following the suspensions.
