Justice Suood branded an activist by PNC MPs

Ruling party People's National Congress (PNC) MPs today criticised Supreme Court Justice Husnu Suood during the debate on the proposed amendment to downsize the Supreme Court bench.

Speaking on the bill which was proposed by Holhudhoo MP Abdul Sattar Mohamed, Mahibadhoo MP Ahmed Thoriq said minority party Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had appointed activists to the Supreme Court bench during their administration.

Because of this, MDP members cannot talk about judicial reform, he said.

"[I would like to] highlight that there are people on the Supreme Court bench who were activists. That was not the intention when the Supreme Court was created. Since the result of appointing activists to the Supreme Court is starting to become evident, I wanted to point that out," Thoriq said.

Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Ahmed Nazim, also criticised Justice Suood. Nazim said that Suood was his attorney when the Supreme Court unjustly issued a 25 year prison sentence to him, and that Suood would know better what the Supreme Court should not do.

However, the Supreme Court judges are now caught in the political tide, interfering in political affairs and issuing political verdicts, he accused.

Nazim also criticized the Supreme Court for accepting to hear the petition to quash the constitutional amendment on anti-defection. Nazim said the Supreme Court had also questioned the authority of the parliament, referring to some questions asked by Justice Suood during the recent hearings on the anti-defection amendment.

"The present Supreme Court appeared to have raised a question. The question was whether the Supreme Court would not have the authority to hear a case [presented before the court] if the Parliament decides that the country's religion is not Islam, despite the the constitution stating that the religion is Islam. The chapter does state that it is the parliament's power to make and amend the legislation so long as it does not violate the religion of Islam," Nazim went on to say.

Nazim said the Supreme Court asking such questions was something to think about, adding that this was the optimal time to make changes to the Supreme Court bench.

“We are seeing signs that [they] are ready to dance to the drums of political leaders," he claimed.

Only three PNC members spoke in the debate on the bill to reduce the number of judges to five - MP Nazim, Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau and Mahibadhoo MP Ahmed Thoriq. All three supported the bill.

Many MDP members participated in the debate and all of them spoke against the bill. Members said that changing the bench while the Supreme Court is hearing a case involving MPs would be a direct influence.