Judge Hailam resigns, hours after committee approves dismissal

Suspended Chief Judge Ahmed Hailam has resigned from the Criminal Court bench.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has confirmed his resignation, and his letter has since been forwarded to the People's Majlis.

In the letter, Hailam criticized the commission's work and said that JSC is working with its own agenda.

Hailam's resignation came hours after the parliament's judiciary committee approved JSC's decision to remove him, after a disciplinary investigation. The committee made the decision at a meeting held on Monday afternoon.

The committee approved the motion after the committee members came to the unanimous decision that the JSC had indeed followed all the relevant laws and regulations in making the decision.

The Criminal Court chief judge had been suspended since November 5, after a Victory Day message he had sent to a closed Viber group went viral on Maldivian social media.

Hailam’s message to the Criminal Court group showed a cartoon drawing of national hero and Victory Day martyr Corporal Hussain Adam pulling eight figures in chains. These men being dragged in chains include incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and former President Mohamed Nasheed.

He had apologized for sharing the drawing, claiming that he was not aware that the drawing included Solih or Nasheed.

Following Hailam’s suspension, JSC appointed Judge Ali Rasheed as the court’s interim chief.