MDP boycotted Supreme Court judge vote over unlawful dismissals: Shamheed

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s MP for South Hulhumalé constituency, Dr. Ahmed Shamheed has revealed that the opposition party lawmakers did not participate in the parliamentary vote to appoint two new Supreme Court judges because the court's decision on the previously dismissed judges was made outside the legal framework and principles.

Taking to social media platform ‘X’ on Wednesday regarding the vote taken at the People’s Majlis floor during Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting, Shamheed wrote that the main reason MDP lawmakers boycotted the vote to appoint new Supreme Court judges was because it is believed that the court's decision on the previously dismissed judges was made outside the legal framework and principles.

Several international organizations and the United Nations have expressed concern about how the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) handled the dismissal of former Supreme Court judges Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir.

Major concerns have been raised about the lack of fair procedures in dismissing the two judges and the potential for government influence on the judiciary. Human rights organizations have also stated that this could have a wide-ranging impact on the rule of law and human rights in the country.

The dismissal of the two judges was carried out in a manner that left room for perceived government influence, prompting international organizations to call on the government to immediately halt the process of dismissing judges and to respect fair procedures and principles of judicial independence in all future decisions related to judges, while the government proceeded without showing any concern for these appeals.