Criminal Court’s optimistic outlook: all "Vanuva" cases to be resolved this year

The Criminal Court of the Maldives announced a hopeful forecast today, projecting that the cases of all individuals currently held in remand until the end of trial will be concluded before the end of this year. 

According to the court's recently released annual statistics for 2025, there has already been significant progress; while 272 people were in remand at the start of last year, that number had dropped to 128 by year-end. 

The court stated that based on current efficiency and targets, there is no doubt that anyone held in remand at the start of 2026 will have their case resolved by the end of the year.

Chief Judge Adam Mohamed highlighted that 2025 was a turning point for the court, which had previously struggled with severe space constraints. 

Two years ago, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) ordered the evacuation of a large portion of the court's former building due to its dilapidated state. This forced the court to operate under difficult conditions, distributing trials across various locations. 

During those two and a half years of displacement, the case backlog grew, public complaints increased, and the rate of resolved cases dropped by 55 percent in 2023 compared to 2022 levels.

The Chief Judge credited the recent surge in productivity to the opening of the Justice Building Annex in Hulhumalé on 27th July 2025. Since relocating its operations to this new facility, the court has achieved a pace of work unprecedented in its history. 

Resolving the "Vanuva" issue, indefinite detention without a verdict, is a key pledge of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s administration. 

By providing the necessary infrastructure and space to expedite the legal process, the government aims to ensure the constitutional right to a speedy trial and finally bring an end to the prolonged detention of individuals awaiting judgment.