Three individuals vie for Supreme Court justice
The deadline for the second opportunity closed at 10am on Saturday
The Supreme Court of Maldives
Three individuals have applied for the position of Supreme Court judge.
According to available information, those who have applied for the Supreme Court judges position include High Court Chief Justice Hussain Shaheed, former Deputy Prosecutor General Mariyam Nihayath, and lawyer Rushdullah Ibrahim.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) announced the vacancy for a Supreme Court Justice on March 10. While a two-day period was given, initially only former Deputy Prosecutor General Mariyam Nihayath applied for the position. Due to the lack of other applicants besides Nihayath, the position was re-advertised.
The deadline for the second opportunity closed at 10am on Saturday.
The qualifications for applying to the Supreme Court Justice position include being at least 30 years old, having a first degree in Islamic Sharia or Law or both Islamic Sharia and Law, and having at least seven years of experience as a judge or a lawyer or a combination of both.
The position was opened for applications following the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Husnu Al Suood on 4 March 2025, after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu stated that he had violated the constitution. Suood resigned while he was also under suspension.
The Supreme Court currently consists of Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan, Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Mahaz Ali Zahir, Aisha Shujoon Mohamed, Ali Rasheed Hussain, and Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim.
Among these justices, Mahaz and Azmiralda are currently suspended.
The justices were suspended on 26 February 2025, while investigating certain cases, just as they had begun hearing a case challenging the constitutional amendment that allows the removal of lawmakers from their seats for floor crossing.
