Abdul Ghanee recommended for Chief Justice post

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has nominated Tax Appeal Tribunal President and former Supreme Court Justice Abdul Ghanee Mohamed for the position of Chief Justice. His name has been forwarded to the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee for review.

The proposal follows a recommendation by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which placed Ghanee in the “highly recommended” category after interviews with three candidates vying for the position.

Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla forwarded Ghanee's name to the relevant committee for review read following the reading of the president’s letter during today's sitting.

The other two nominees for the post are former High Court Chief Judge Shujau Usman and former Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed. According to the JSC’s evaluation, Abdulla Mohamed received a “recommended” rating, while Shujau Usman was ranked third.

Under the constitution, the Chief Justice is appointed by the President with the approval of Parliament, based on recommendations from the JSC.

The position became vacant following the retirement of Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan last month.

Ghanee served as a Civil Court judge between 2000 and 2004 and was later appointed to the High Court, where he served until 2018. During his tenure, he also held the position of Chief Judge of the High Court.

In 2019, Ghanee was removed from his post by Parliament in the wake of controversial Supreme Court decisions. However, he returned to public service in 2023, when he was appointed to the Tax Appeal Tribunal.

Shujau Usman began his judicial career as a magistrate and was appointed a High Court judge in 2015 while serving at the Criminal Court. He became Chief Judge of the High Court in 2018, but resigned in 2020 after his name was submitted to Parliament for removal.

Abdulla Mohamed has previously served as Chief Judge of the Criminal Court and is currently a Family Court judge.