Swearing-in of HC judges scheduled despite legal challenge
Naushad’s petition seeks a temporary stay on the appointment, arguing that Shaheed does not meet the eligibility requirements for the position.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has scheduled the swearing-in ceremony for two newly appointed High Court judges for Sunday night, despite an ongoing legal case seeking a stay order on the appointment of Mohamed Shaheed to the bench.
The vacancies in the High Court arose following the elevation of two judges to the Supreme Court. These include former Chief Justice of the High Court, Hussain Shaheed, who replaced Husnu Suood after his resignation from the Supreme Court in March last year. Mahaz Ali Zahir and Azmiralda Zahir were also removed from their posts as Supreme Court judges.
A total of 17 candidates applied for the vacant High Court positions. The JSC approved the appointments of Mohamed Shaheed, a known political activist affiliated with the ruling People's National Congress (PNC), and former judge Abdulla Jameel Moosa.
However, the appointment of Shaheed has been challenged in the Civil Court by Ahmed Naushad, a lawyer at the Prosecutor General’s Office. Naushad’s petition seeks a temporary stay on the appointment, arguing that Shaheed does not meet the eligibility requirements for the position.
According to the petition, several applicants with extensive experience in the legal field had applied for the position. Naushad contends that appointing Shaheed would be unjust to more qualified candidates and therefore requested an interim order to halt the swearing-in.
As of now, the JSC has not postponed the ceremony and preparations for the swearing-in are underway. The court has yet to decide on the request for a stay order.
