Justices have not lost their seats, will ask to review SC registrar's decision: lawyers
Justices Abdulla Saeed and Ali Hameed were sentenced to over a year in prison after being guilty of influencing lower court verdicts
Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed (L) and Justice Ali Hameed
Lawyers of Supreme Court justices Abdulla Saeed and Ali Hameed have refuted reports that they have lost their seats, saying they will be asking the court to review Wednesday's ruling.
A statement released by the lawyers, following Supreme Court's decision to uphold High Court ruling, noted that the court had decided not to accept the case without referring to the points made by them including the fact that the hearings were held unlawfully.
They highlighted that the decision to not accept the case was 'by the court registrar'.
Noting that the court had, in its decision to not accept the case, said that 'this case has already been heard by the High Court of the Maldives', the lawyers emphasized that an appeal case can only be submitted to the Supreme Court after the High Court makes a ruling on the matter.
The statement further highlighted that the Supreme Court's ruling 'has no legal basis' and that there is room to question whether the ruling was issued by the court's justices.
Hence, Chief Justice Saeed and Justice Hameed have decided to ask the Supreme Court to review the case.
Further noting that the justices would lose their seats after the Supreme Court makes a final decision on the matter, the lawyers said that the court's registrars decision 'cannot be classified as a decision by the court justices'. Hence, the lawyers highlighted that the justices 'have not lost their seats'.
The Criminal Court had sentenced them to one year, seven months and six days in prison after finding them guilty of influencing lower court verdicts. While the High Court upheld the verdict, it decided to reduce their jail sentence one year, two months and 12 days.
Supreme Court upheld the verdict on Wednesday after the justices had filed an appeal earlier in June following the High Court’s verdict.
While the justices had requested to overturn the ruling, Supreme Court decided not to hear the case saying that the High Court had ruled accordingly. The top court added that High Court's ruling in the case was within the ambit of the law and judiciary.
Supreme Court further noted that there were no legal or judicial reasons to overturn the verdict on the justices.
