Sacked judge Mahaz tops president’s nomination list for tax tribunal

Former Supreme Court Justice Mahaz Ali Zahir, who was removed from the bench in May by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), has been placed at the top of President Mohamed Muizzu’s list of nominees for the Tax Appeal Tribunal.

The President forwarded seven names to Parliament to fill two vacancies on the tribunal. The list, received on Wednesday, places Mahaz first, followed by six other candidates. Parliament traditionally votes on such appointments in the order the names are presented by the President.

In his letter, Muizzu noted that one of the tribunal’s vacancies must be filled by a member of the legal profession. All nominees, except one, are law graduates.

The candidates named in order are:

The list has been referred to Parliament’s Judiciary Committee, which will review the applications before the chamber votes to confirm two appointments.

Mahaz was one of two Supreme Court judges dismissed by the JSC earlier this year. His removal was endorsed by the PNC-dominated Parliament on 14 May. The decision drew criticism from legal bodies and observers, who questioned the process by which the dismissal was carried out.

Following his dismissal, Mahaz described the decision as unlawful and accused Attorney General Ahmed Usham of involvement in the process.