Criminal cases in Male' have come to halt, need immediate solution: Chief Justice

Chief Justice Ahmed Muhthasim Adnan has appealed to find an immediate solution to the problem of hearings in criminal cases having come to a halt in capital Male' City.

He revealed that at present, due to being severely affected from recent adverse weather conditions, the Criminal Court, housed in an old and almost decrepit building, has been forced to stop all of its work besides releasing absolutely necessary court orders.

The Chief Justice called for an immediate solution to be found, saying that criminal case proceedings have been brought to a halt due to these reasons, and the adverse effects of this may be felt widely.

"There is nowhere for Judges or even staff to be in. As a result, all criminal cases in the capital have come to a halt. This is a problem that all branches of the State must work together to find an immediate solution for," he said.

According to him, in addition to the Criminal Court, the Family Court and Drug Court are also facing difficulties at the moment, as well as magistrate courts in a number of islands. These institutions are, however, continuing to provide services as best as possible even with the challenges faced.

Chief Justice Muhthasim also noted that the Civil Procedure Code and the Criminal Procedure Code in their current form are challenging to implement. He said that this has caused cases to pile up without reaching resolutions, and assured that the judiciary will extend cooperation towards work to restructure them.

"The objectives the Parliament had in mind when drafting these codes are not being achieved. Instead of being expedited, cases are getting delayed and piling up incomplete. With the help of the judiciary, the challenges faced in implementing these must be learned," he said.

He further said that in addition to changing the composition of the Judicial Services Commission, efforts need to be put in to elevate the administrative branches of the judiciary to levels accepted internationally.

The Chief Justice made these comments in an event held last night to inaugurate the "Judicial Year 2024", initiated by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's administration.