Supreme Court: MQA not required to validate PhD certificates, but must compensate students misled by prior approval

The Supreme Court has ruled on a long-standing dispute involving the Maldives Qualifications Authority (MQA) and its refusal to validate PhD certificates issued through a foreign college partnership.

The case centers on a PhD program offered by AIMS College in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with a Philippines-based institution. In 2016, MQA publicly announced its recognition of the course, prompting several Maldivians to enroll. However, in January 2018, MQA reversed its decision and declared the program unrecognized. It assured that students already enrolled would still have their certificates accepted upon completion.

Despite this assurance, MQA refused to validate the certificates when graduates submitted them in 2021. Three affected individuals, Shamoon Adam (Twilight/G.Dh.Thinadhoo), Niuma Mohamed (Manaam/N.Velidhoo), and Fathimath Mumtaz (M.Sinaekatha/Male’), filed a civil suit seeking recognition and compensation.

The Civil Court ruled that MQA could not be compelled to validate the certificates but held the authority liable for damages caused by its reversal. The High Court later overturned this, stating that new regulations cannot retroactively invalidate prior approvals, and ordered MQA to recognize the certificates.

However, the Supreme Court, in its final verdict delivered on Sunday, quashed the High Court’s decision. It ruled that:

• MQA cannot be legally compelled to validate certificates based on documents issued outside its formal regulatory framework
• Students who enrolled based on MQA’s prior written approval may be entitled to compensation if they suffered demonstrable losses

The court emphasized that while MQA’s initial approval created expectations, it did not constitute a binding legal obligation under the current framework. The judgment reinforces the principle that regulatory bodies must act within their legal mandate, but also bear responsibility for misleading or premature endorsements.