Parliament approves Mahaz Ali Zahir for Supreme Court bench
Mahaz was approved with votes from 55 members of parliament
Mahaz Ali Zahir
Parliament has approved Mahaz Ali Zahir for the Supreme Court bench.
Mahaz was approved with votes from 55 members of parliament.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih forwarded the nominations of former Drug Court Judge Mahaz Ali Zahir and former Attorney General Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed for the Supreme Court bench on October 17.
Mahaz and Dhiyana were recommended to the president for the Supreme Court Judge vacancy by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) in September this year.
The nominations were sent to the parliament Judiciary Committee for further review, however, the committee did not recommend support either nomination in its report and instead determined that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) made the proper recommendations.
Speaker Mohamed Nasheed re-scheduled the report on the agenda citing that it is the committee's responsibility to oversee whether the JSC followed procedure.
Main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had issued a three-line whip to vote for Mahaz, a few moments prior to the vote.
Dr Azmiralda Zahir and Aisha Shujune Mohamed -Maldives' first female judges- were appointed to the Supreme Court this September, following an amendment to the Judicature Act to increase the size of the Supreme Court bench from five to seven justices.
