Clause 29 of the Clemency Act, which gives the President the right to grant pardons to individuals convicted of criminal offences, was annulled on December 20.
President’s Office issued an announcement attributing the annulment to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s belief that the clause did not fulfil the intended purposes of the Clemency Act.
The clause in question accords the president to grant pardons without the submission of an appeal and was introduced in 2016 by the President’s Office.
As per the Act, convicts who have already served a portion of their sentence may also appeal for clemency. In such cases, the Clemency Board will evaluate the appeal and decide on whether or not to grant a pardon.