Parliament committee approves Ghani for Chief Justice
The position became vacant following the retirement of the former Chief Justice on 21 July.
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The Judiciary Committee of the Parliament on Monday approved the appointment of Tax Appeal Tribunal President and former Supreme Court Justice Abdul Ghani Mohamed as Chief Justice.
The position became vacant following the retirement of the former Chief Justice on 21 July.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) recommended Abdul Ghani’s name to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who subsequently forwarded the nomination to Parliament for consideration. The Judiciary Committee reviewed the nomination on Monday.
At its meeting held on the same day, the committee unanimously approved Abdul Ghani’s appointment. A full parliamentary vote on the approval is yet to be conducted.
Abdul Ghani previously served as a judge of the Civil Court from 2000 to 2004 and as a High Court judge from 2004 to 2018. In 2018, he was appointed to the Supreme Court. He was removed from the bench in 2019 following changes in government and parliamentary majorities. His appointment at the time was linked to the February 1 Supreme Court order, and during the tenure of the MDP government, the composition of the court was altered following a report on the previous bench.
In addition to Abdul Ghani, other individuals seeking appointment as Chief Justice include former High Court Chief Justice Shujau Usman, Family Court Judge and former Criminal Court Chief Justice Abdulla Mohamed.
Following Adnan’s retirement, the administrative responsibilities of the Supreme Court have been temporarily assigned to Justice Abdulla Hameed. Other sitting judges on the bench include Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, Ali Rasheed Hussain, Dr Mohamed Ibrahim, Hussain Rasheed, and Mohamed Saleem.
According to the Judiciary Act, the JSC is responsible for interviewing candidates and recommending names to the President. The President, in turn, forwards the selected name or names to Parliament. Upon parliamentary approval, the President must formalise the appointment within seven days. The President also holds the discretion to nominate other individuals to the Supreme Court, including for the post of Chief Justice.
