JSC to submit motion to remove justices

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has decided to to submit a motion to parliament, to remove Chief Justice Ahmed Abdulla Didi and Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla.

JSC made the decision at its 80th meeting on Wednesday, after completing investigations into disciplinary issues against the justices.

As such, the commission said that the investigation into the respective complaints against the justices showed that their actions were against the judges’ code of conduct, and against Article 154 (b) of the Constitution.

While Article 154 (b) allows judges to be removed through parliament if found to be guilty of gross misconduct, JSC made the decision to submit the motion to parliament under the power granted to the through the Judicial Service Act (JSC).

Judges can only be removed if two-thirds majority of the People’s Majlis members present and voting support the resolution.

As the commission submits the motion and await the parliament’s decision, it has also decided to suspended the two justices for a 60-day period.

Chief Justice Didi had refused to accept a summon notice by JSC on Monday, saying that the commission has no legal basis to do so, while Justice Adam Mohamed refused to attend JSC’s investigative hearing on Tuesday claiming that the investigation against him is invalid.

In the statement released on Wednesday, JSC noted that two other justices at Supreme Court are also currently being investigated; they have been the investigation report and are to send in their responses.

JSC had, on Tuesday, revealed that around 200 complaints had been submitted to the commission since the enactment of the second amendment of the JSC Act on September 3.

51 of the complaints are against four Supreme Court justices; 8 against the chief justice, 14 complaints against Justice Abdulla Areef, 16 complaints against Adam Mohamed Abdulla and three against Justice Abdul Ghanee Mohamed.