Parliament committee endorses dismissal of two Supreme Court judges

Parliament’s Judiciary Committee has voted to approve the dismissal of Supreme Court judges Dr Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir, following a request from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

JSC alleges that the two judges used their influence to secure the release of Dr Azmiralda’s husband, Dr Ismail Latheef, from custody.

The committee reached its decision during a closed-door session held yesterday afternoon. According to parliamentary procedure, the judges can only be dismissed through a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at a Parliament sitting.

The decision was taken without granting the judges an opportunity to present their defense. Dr Azmiralda had formally requested a chance to appear before the committee and respond to the allegations. However, the meeting, initially open to the public was closed following a motion by People's National Congress (PNC) MP Mohamed Shahid. Members of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) boycotted the session in protest.

The Bar Council of the Maldives and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association have since voiced serious concerns over the procedure, calling on the Parliament to uphold principles of due process and ensure that the judges are given a fair opportunity to respond.