Parliament has received an emergency motion over President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih nominating two women to the new posts in the Supreme Court bench.

The emergency motion was accepted with 52 votes on Monday.

Nolhivaram MP Mohamed Nasheed said that appointing women as judges is against Islamic law and that women who accept the position and the person who gives her the position have committed a sin. He added that many Islamic scholars have condemned the decision.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has nominated Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Aisha Shujoon Mohamed to the Supreme Court after ratifying the 3rd amendment to the Judicature Act, on July 23, allowing the increase of the number of justices in the Supreme Court bench from five to seven.

If appointed, they would become the first female justices of the Maldives Supreme Court.

Aisha Shujoon Mohamed was appointed Maldives’ first female judge in 2007 during Gayoom’s administration and another female judge was appointed later that year.

Currently, there is one female judge at the Family Court, and two female judges at the Civil Court. There are also women in the Kulhudhuffushi and Fuvahmulah magistrate court benches.