SC nominee Judge Raoof under investigation by JSC

The Judicial Service Commission has commenced an investigation into one of three candidates put forward by the President for the vacant seats on the Supreme Court bench, Judge Abdul Raoof Ibrahim.

JSC announced the investigation into three complaints received regarding the judge last night and stated that the President would be counseled after the matters were resolved. Judge Abdul Raoof also resigned from the JSC yesterday. He was the High Court judge elected to the JSC on behalf of the High Court judges since May 16, 2017.

JSC approved and recommended the remaining two names put forward by the President for the top court of the country. The nominees include Ahmed Muhthasim Adnan from M. Gulfaamuge and Husnu Al Suood from Karankaage, S. Meedhoo.

The two names have now been forwarded to the Parliament by the President. Out of the two nominees, Husnu Al Suood is a prominent lawyer who is in charge of the Presidential Commission on Deaths and Enforced Disappearances that investigated the cases of Ahmed Rilwan, Dr. Afrasheem, and Raudha Athif among others. Ahmed Muhthasim is nominated by the President for the role of Chief Justice.

The seats on the Supreme Court bench were left vacant after the impeachments of former Chief Justice, Dr. Ahmed Abdulla Didi, and Judge Adam Mohamed Abdulla. The judge who was left in charge of the top court after the impeachments, Judge Abdulla Areef, also retired from the court soon after, citing health issues.

The court currently has four judges instead of the necessary seven. They include the first two female Supreme Court judges ever to be appointed in the Maldives, Dr. Esmeralda Zahir, who is in charge of the court after the retirement of Judge Areef, Judge Aishath Shujoon, Judge Mahaaz Ali Zahir and Judge Abdul Ghani Mohamed. Out of the four judges, Judge Abdul Ghani is also under an investigation by the JSC and the Anti-Corruption Commission that could possibly see him impeached.