Country’s first female justices begin overseeing cases

Women have taken part in overseeing a case at the Supreme Court for the first time in Maldivian history.

Former High Court judge Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and former Civil Court judge Aisha Shujoon were appointed to the Supreme court on September 4 – becoming the first women to be appointed to the bench of the country’s top court.

Azmiralda and Shujoon were on the Supreme Court bench overseeing an employment dispute at the court at 10 am this Monday – marking the first time for women to oversee a case at the Supreme Court.

They are also on the bench for a hearing in another case scheduled for 1 pm.

Azmiralda and Shujoon were nominated to the Supreme Court following a legislative amendment to Judicature Act which saw the number of justices at the Supreme Court revert back to the original seven, instead of five justices.

The Supreme Court bench is currently made up of:

• Chief Justice Dr. Ahmed Abdulla Didi
• Justice Uz.  Abdulla Areef
• Justice Uz. Adam Mohamed Abdulla
• Justice Uz. Abdul Ghanee Mohamed
• Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir
• Justice Uz. Aisha Shujoon

Meanwhile, nominees for the vacancy left in the wake of former Supreme Court justice Abdulla Didi’s impeachment are currently under evaluation by the Parliament.