Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing in the case submitted by the Joint Opposition, seeking to nullify the recently ratified anti-defection law.

It has been over a month since the court concluded the hearings in the case, the last hearing in the case was held on March 20. At the hearing, the presiding judge had said that a verdict will be reached at the next hearing, if there are no other issues to be noted.

Hence, it is believed that a verdict will be issued at the hearing scheduled for 1:30pm on Tuesday.

However, while the same situation arose in the Joint Opposition’s case seeking to nullify an amendment to the Judges Act, the court decided not to issue a ruling at the last hearing.

Speaking to RaajjeMV, lawyer Safa Shareef, who is representing the lawmakers, said that they have been unable to confirm whether a ruling is to be issued at Tuesday’s hearing. However, she noted that the hearings have concluded in the case.

The case was filed by the Maldivian Democratic Party, the Adhaalath Party, the Jumhooree Party, and one faction of the Progressive Party of Maldives, on Thursday, 15th March.

The anti-defection law, ratified in March 2018, stipulates that lawmakers who are found to have floor-crossed since 13th July 2017 will be unseated. The Elections Commission has since unseated 12 opposition lawmakers.

While it has been nearly a year since the the lawmakers have been banned from taking part in parliament sessions, important bills have been passed without them. The Joint Opposition notes that rights of 60,000 citizens have been violated over the MPs’ removal from parliament.