High Court, lower court judges vote against dismissing SC judges
The meeting held on Sunday afternoon passed the decision to send the matter of removing Mahaz and Azmiralda from their judicial positions to the People's Majlis
Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir (L) and Mahaz Ali Zahir (R)
The judges of the High Court and lower courts who are members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) have voted against removing Justice Mahaz Ali Zahir and Dr. Azmiralda Zahir from their positions as justices of the Supreme Court of the Maldives.
The JSC meeting to decide on sending the matter of removing Mahaz and Azmiralda from their judicial positions to the People's Majlis was held on Sunday.
The meeting held on Sunday afternoon passed the decision to send the matter of removing Mahaz and Azmiralda from their judicial positions to the People's Majlis.
Among the members who participated in the vote, five members voted in favor of removing Mahaz and Azmiralda.
These were the Speaker of the People's Majlis Abdul Raheem Abdulla, recently appointed Supreme Court Justice Hussain Shaheed, JSC member appointed by the President Yazmeed Mohamed, lawyer member of JSC Ali Abdul Latheef, and Civil Service Commission President Mohamed Nasih.
The judges of the High Court and lower courts voted against removing Mahaz and Azmiralda. These were High Court Judge Mohamed Niyaz and Civil Court Judge Farhad Shareef, who represents the lower courts.
Among other members of the commission, it is reported that Attorney General Ahmed Usham did not attend the committee meeting.
In addition to this, the public member of JSC, Dr. Aminath Ummu Kulsoom, did not vote either way.
The remaining member of the commission is the commission's president and MP for Maafushi constituency, Hussain Riza Adam. He was presiding over the meeting.
Justice Mahaz and Azmiralda were suspended on 26 February 2025, claiming that cases against them were being investigated. This was just as a hearings in a constitutional case submitted to the Supreme Court were about to begin.
Along with these two judges, then-Supreme Court Justice Husnu Al Suood was also suspended. However, Suood resigned from his position as a judge in protest, stating that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu was exerting influence over the judiciary.
