President ratifies amendment to increase SC justices

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has given his approval to an amendment to the law that will effectively increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court bench from five to seven.

The amendment to the Judicature Act was passed by the parliament within this month.

According to the original law passed in 2010, the Supreme Court's bench would be filled by the Chief Justice and six other appointed justices. However, an amendment brought to the law in 2014 during President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s administration, saw the number of justices on the bench of the top court of Maldives reduced to five.

That amendment also led to the dismissal of the then Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussain and Justicee Ahmed Muthassim Adnan.