President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has nominated High Court Judge Mohamed Saleem and former High Court Judge Abdulla Hameed to the Supreme Court.
Their names were sent for parliament approval today. The parliament has tasked the Judiciary Committee with reviewing the matter.
There were 12 candidates for two vacancies on the seven-member Supreme Court bench. Saleem and Hameed scored the highest out of the applicants.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) recommended that the President appoint Saleem and Hameed to the top court.
Saleem was sworn in as a High Court judge on August 9, 2022. Prior to that, he spent 12 years as a legal officer at the High Court.
Hameed was removed from the High Court on June 6, 2022, after the JSC investigated and sent to the parliament the case of acceptance of flats given to former judges by the government of former President Abdullah Yameen.
Two seats on the Supreme Court bench became vacant following the dismissal of Justices Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir. They were accused of influencing the Criminal Court judges.
Former Chief Justice Dr. Ahmed Abdulla Didi stated that any new appointments to the Supreme Court will be unlawful because Justices Azmiralda and Mahaz were dismissed without following due process.
UN bodies and bar associations in neighbouring countries have questioned the investigation into the justices and described it as an act of influencing the judiciary.
