While the ruling party has proposed a number of amendments to the penal code including to make bribery a non-criminal offence, former deputy prosecutor general Hussain Shameem has said that this 'will take the country back over 14 years'.

He made the comment in an interview to RaajjeTV on Wednesday night, where he noted concerns regarding the proposed amendments to the penal code.

He said that a number of issues will arise if the amendment is passed as it is, adding that it will take back the progress the Maldives' has made since 2004.

While the penal code was reformed back in 2004, Shameem said that the previous one did not have 'any order or structure'.

Describing the current penal code as 'near perfect', the prominent lawyer highlighted that as per the proposed amendment 'a crime and attempted crime will be classified the same'.

Furthermore, he said that the government's attempt to decriminalize bribery is concerning and added that this is most likely due to changes to government policies.

He said that if passed, all previous bribery cases will be dissolved, including against Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and opposition leader Qasim Ibrahim.