MDP: Suo moto case undermines independent commission

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said that the suo moto case, initiated by the Supreme Court against the members of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), undermines the authority of the HRCM, an independent commission.

In a press release yesterday, MDP said that it is the duty of the HRCM, as a commission that promotes human rights, to submit the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations; and that the Supreme Court has initiated a suo moto case against HRCM members for criticising rulings of the Supreme Court in the UPR.

MDP also mentioned that summoning the members of the HRCM to the Court yesterday undermines the authority of an independent commission created under the constitution.

This press release also stated that under the article 27(a) of the Human Rights Commission Act, it is not permissible to prosecute the president, vice president, and members of the commission “in relation to committing or omitting an act in good faith whilst undertaking responsibilities of the commission or exercising the powers of the Commission or the powers conferred to the Commission by a law.”