Committee sets target to complete work on Penal Code Bill by the end of this month

The Parliament Committee reviewing the Penal Code Bill has opened the bill for public comments and set a target to finish work on the bill by end of this month. The bill, which has been opened for comments for a second time, was submitted to the parliament seven years ago.

The committee decided to open the bill for public comments again following numerous complaints regarding the short period allowed to submit comments for the 600-article long bill. The committee has set the comments submission deadline to 25th of this month.

Speaking at the committee meeting yesterday, the committee’s deputy chairman Naifaru MP Ahmed Mohamed said that the current draft of the Penal Code Bill will be amended after reviewing and incorporating the comments submitted by private parties and non-governmental organizations. He said that they have set a target to complete all work on the bill by the 31st of this month.

The bill was first submitted to the 16th session of the Parliament in 2006. Committee review of the bill was completed and the bill was opened for public comments on the 14th of last month, which closed last Thursday the 7th of this month, sparking frustration.

Ahmed Mohamed said that the bill has not received any comments so far and that the issue where the commenting deadline was first announced for the 31st of March was due to an error by the Parliament administration.

The Parliament Committee reviewing the Penal Code Bill consists of a total of 6 MPs, which include; 3 MPs from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), 2 MPs from Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), and a MP from Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP). The MPs are; Bileidhoo MP Ahmed Hamza, Maafannu-North MP Imthiyaz Fahumee, Thulhaadhoo MP Nazim Rashaad, Naifaru MP Ahmed Mohamed, Fonadhoo MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla and Maavashu MP Abdul Azeez Jamaal Aboobakuru.