High Court judges elect Judge Abdullah Hameed for JSC

Judges in the High Court of the Maldives have elected Judge Abdullah Hameed to represent the Court at the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). Judge Hameed was elected today, after Judge Abdul Ghani Mohamed, who represented the High Court at JSC since the establishment of the latter resigned.

Judge Abd al-Raoof Ibrahim also put forth his name in the election, though he received 3 votes, 1 less than Judge Hameed.

Judge Abdul Ghani Mohamed resigned as High Court representative at the JSC stating that he was elected for the office before new judges were taken in for the High Court bench on the 26th of March this year, and that he wanted the representative of High Court at JSC to be newly elected with the new judges’ say too.

The Judicial Services Commission is a 10-member, independent statutory body which has the responsibility to hold Judges in the Maldives accountable. The JSC comprises of one Judge from the Supreme Court, one from the High Court, and one from the four Superior Courts. In addition, a public member elected by the People’s Majlis, a lawyer elected by licensed attorneys in the country, the Speaker of the People’s Majlis, a Member of Parliament elected by the Majlis, the President of the Civil Services Commission, and a representative of the President also sit in the Commission.

Since the establishment of the Commission, the Aishath Veleziny represented the President. However, she was later called off by the President, and the seat is still vacant.