The Judges' Association of Maldives, on Tuesday, advised judges to cooperate on matters investigated by Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and urged them to adhere to the code of conduct enacted by the commission.
The association, which was re-registered on June 16 after a period of inactivity, released a statement highlighting the importance of conducting and concluding investigations into judges in a timely manner, as per the powers and responsibilities vested in the Judicial Service Commission by the constitution.
Additionally, the statement noted that judges are equal to civilians in front of the law and affirmed the association's belief that measures taken by the JSC as a result of transparent and unbiased investigations will pave the way for restoring trust in the Maldivian judiciary.
Judges' Association released the statement while the Supreme Court had issued a stay order on JSC's suspension of Judge Abdulla Didi.
The commission subsequently rejected the court's stay order and maintained that the suspension was in effect. In response, the appellate court issued an order nullifying any and all actions taken by the commission or other state institutions which disregarded the stay order.
The Judges' Association, which was initially registered 11 years ago, resumed its functions during the current week with a newly elected board of executives. The association was re-registered in the midst of the ongoing conflict between the apex court and JSC.
Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) stated that this association cannot be accepted as one established under the rights granted by the Judges Act. However, 115 of the total 194 judges registered at JSC are members of the reestablished Judges' Association.
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