Amendment to facilitate abolition of Hulhumale

Parliament has accepted an amendment to the law on judicial courts that would facilitate the abolition of the Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court.

The case against former President Mohamed Nasheed for the illegal detention of the Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed is currently being contested in the Hulhumale’ Court.

The amendment proposed by Kulhudhuffushi-south MP Mohamed Nasheed was accepted by the parliament after a vote of 32 in favour, 31 against and one abstinence. A total of 64 MPs were in attendance at today’s session.

Once ratified, the amendment will abolish all first tier lower courts in Male’, and transfer their unfinished cases to the superior courts with the respective jurisdictions.

The amendment specifies that the judges from the abolished courts are to be transferred to a lower court in Male’, under the supervision of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). A manner to deal with the court’s staff, property and money is to be decided by the Department of Judicial Administration.