Judges need to be held into account: AG
Riffath said the Supreme Court needs to work within the limits set by the Constitution
Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath
Judges need to be held accountable to establish justice in the country, says Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath.
In a tweet on Wednesday, AG Riffath said the Constitution clearly dictates the limits of the State powers and that the Supreme Court also needs to work within those limits.
The Supreme Court has recently come under criticism for issuing orders to undermine the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) over its suspension of one of its Justices.
In a press release on the same day, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said that, according to the Constitution, only the parliament can hold the JSC into account, adding that, as President, he will do whatever is necessary to uphold the Constitution.
JSC suspended Justice Abdulla Didi after Parliament Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed filed a case accusing him of accepting USD 1 million to sentence him to prison in 2015.
After the suspension, the Supreme Court issued a stay order in the case. But after the JSC upheld its suspension, and after a parliament committee passed to support this decision, the court issued another order stating that any order against the Supreme Court’s own orders are nullified.
Due to the Supreme Court’s interference in JSC’s work, the AG has requested parliament to "narrow" the court’s powers.
The parliament’s judiciary committee has questioned JSC members and is set to send a report to the parliament floor. In the report, the committee requests the parliament to approve JSC’s rulings.
