President must lead the process of strengthening the criminal justice system: Yameen

Parliamentary Group Leader of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), Mulaku MP Abdullah Yameen has said that the president must lead the process of reforming and strengthening the criminal justice system of the Maldives.

Yameen said on DhiTV Khabarutherein program last night that there are several problems associated with the criminal justice system, and that the president, as the head of state, must assume the responsibility of finding solutions to the problem of delayed delivery of justice.

“The entire criminal justice system has problems. Regardless of the reasons behind the problems, the head of state should take the responsibility of finding solutions if the delivery of justice is being delayed. The purpose of this isn’t to ensure that the case is concluded in a particular way. It is a responsibility of the president stipulated in article 115 of the constitution. No one else can take up this responsibility. It has to be done by the president,” Yameen said.

He said that following delays in trials related to serious criminal cases, the president could hold discussions with senior officials of the relevant institutions and find ways to proceed with the cases. He said that this would not mean that the president tries to influence the justice system.

“What I’m saying is, the police, judges and the prosecutor general – these three institutions should hold discussions aimed at expediting cases. I’m not saying that every case sent to the prosecutor general’s office should be filed to court. I’m not asking the president to decide that every suspect involved in cases submitted to the police is guilty of the crime. I’m also not saying that the president should interfere with cases filed to court. The proceedings need to be expedited, speeded up. The president should pay special attention to serious criminal cases, draw up timelines and discuss them with officials of the institutions,” he said.

He said that the purpose of his remarks is not to criticise the president or the justice sector, but to provide constructive criticism. He said that the public ends up dismayed when the work of the police, courts, prosecutor general and state institutions are delayed, causing them to believe that the law is not being implemented.

Yameen said that in order to stop serious crimes, ensure the rule of law and guarantee people’s confidence in the government, it is the president’s responsibility to expedite the work of all state institutions. He said that laws are of no use if the people believe that the state has come to a halt, and that this must be prevented at all costs.