JSC Suspends Three Supreme Court Judges
Photos: JSC
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) of the Maldives has suspended Supreme Court judges Uz Husnu Al Suood, Dr Azmiralda Zahir, and Uz Mahaz Ali Zahir.
The decision was made during the commission’s fourth meeting of the year, following a notification from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) that a criminal investigation was ongoing against the three judges.
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According to a statement published on the JSC website, the suspension was based on Article 25(p) of the Judicial Service Act. The provision states that the JSC must decide within 48 hours on the suspension of a judge if they have been arrested or placed in custody on a criminal charge, if an investigative body informs the commission of an ongoing criminal probe, or if a court finds them guilty of an offence.
The suspension comes amid allegations by the opposition that the current administration is undermining the separation of powers. Recently, parliament passed a constitutional amendment allowing lawmakers to lose their seats if they leave or are expelled from their political party. The amendment was challenged at the Supreme Court, which ruled during the second hearing that the case could proceed despite objections from state prosecutors.
Following this, President Mohamed Muizzu removed Uz Mohamed Sameer from the JSC and appointed Yazmeed Mohamed in his place. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has criticised the appointment, arguing that Yazmeed has no legal background and has ties to the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).
