Judge Ali Nadeem leads record-breaking year for Criminal Court

According to statistics released by the Criminal Court of the Maldives today, Judge Ali Nadeem has been identified as the judge with the most productive track record for the past year, concluding over 300 cases.

Judge Nadeem successfully finalized a total of 302 cases within a single year, a figure that far exceeds the output of other judges at the court.

In comparison, the other judges concluded an average of 113 cases each. The lowest number of cases resolved by a single judge was 56, attributed to Hussain Faiz Rasheed, who was recently removed from his position.

Judge Nadeem’s record is particularly noteworthy regarding individuals held in remand until the end of trial. At the start of 2025, he had 29 such cases assigned to him; by the end of the year, only two remained pending. 

Appointed to the Criminal Court in 2021, Judge Nadeem brought a wealth of experience to the bench, having previously served as both a public prosecutor and a defense lawyer.

Overall, the Criminal Court saw a dramatic surge in efficiency last year, completing 1,380 cases, more than double the 649 cases resolved in 2024. This increase is largely attributed to the relocation to the Justice Building Annex in Hulhumalé on July 27, 2025. 

Before the move, the court averaged 72 case completions per month; since relocating, that average has jumped to 175 per month. The court stated that if this momentum continues, they are on track to resolve over 2,000 cases by the end of 2026, potentially clearing the long-standing case backlog entirely.