Amendment passed expanding presidential powers over AG Office
Amendments to Attorney General's Office Law granting more powers to Muizzu passed with 65 votes in favor
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu (R) and AG Ahmed Usham (L)
The amendments to the Attorney General's Office Law, which grant powers of the Attorney General's Office to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, have been passed.
The bill was passed on Monday.
The bill, which underwent minimal changes during the committee stage, received 65 votes in favor, with only four members voting against it.
The amendment, proposed by Ali Fazad, MP for Central Fuvahmulah constituency, includes 14 changes to the law. Among these are changes that limit the powers of the Attorney General and pave the way for the president to exert influence over the office and the Attorney General.
According to the bill, the Attorney General's power to determine the office's organizational structure will be restricted. A clause has been included requiring the office structure to be submitted to the President's Office for the president's approval.
Further, once this law is ratified, the clause granting the Attorney General the power to legally resolve and settle disputes between two state institutions will be removed from the Attorney General's Office Law.
Previously, in April, the government had also introduced changes to the Attorney General's Office Law. The amendment passed then separated the Attorney General's Office from the Civil Service. Some other changes to the office's procedures were also implemented at that time.
The government proposed these new changes to the law less than a month after ratifying the previous amendment.
