Speaker Nasheed backtracks on SC nominees report

The Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has backtracked on an earlier decision to resend the report by the Judiciary Committee of the Parliament regarding the appointment of Mahaz and Dhiyana to the Supreme Court.

Nasheed stated the report will be on the agenda and stated that there no issues with the report. He had earlier stated in today’s parliamentary session that the Judiciary Committee had not stated its view regarding the appointments in the report.

Central Henveiru MP and MDP PG group leader Ali Azim stated that the mandate of the Judiciary Committee was to see whether the requirements for the recommendation process by the President were fulfilled when the names were sent to JSC, in matters related to the appointment of judges.

His comments were echoed by West Henveiru MP Hassan Latheef and Thulhaadhoo MP Hisaan Hussain who both sit on the Judiciary Committee.

The Speaker of the Parliament then conferred with the Councilor General of the Parliament before deciding to agenda the report. However, Nasheed once again backtracked and stated that the report can only be set to the agenda after three days since it was resent.

The report was regarding the Former Drug Court judge Mahaz Ali Zahir and former Attorney General Dhiyana Saeedh who were recommended by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to the vacant seat on the Supreme Court bench.

The seat on the Supreme Court was left vacant after the Parliament passed to dismiss judge Abdulla Didi from the post after being found guilty of a disciplinary issue. An appointment to the Supreme Court can only be made after being presented to the Parliament and gaining the approval of the Parliament.