The amendment bill to the Judges Act which seeks to remove judges convicted of a criminal offence, has been accepted into parliament on Monday’s sitting.

It was accepted with 36 votes and has been sent to the parliament committee for evaluation; opposition MPs continue to boycott the sittings.

The bill will allow the removal of judges without a parliamentary vote called for by the constitution. It was proposed by ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s deputy leader MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla.

Presently, a sitting judge can only be removed if the judicial watchdog finds him guilty of gross incompetence or misconduct and submits a resolution to be passed by a two-thirds majority of parliament.

MP Raheem’s bill coincides with the government’s arrest of two Supreme Court justices, who are accused of accepting bribes in a ‘conspiracy to overthrow the government’.

Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed were arrested following President Abdulla Yameen’s declaration of a state of emergency on 5th February, after refusing to implement a ruling issued by the Supreme Court four days earlier.