Complaints against Judges must be processed by JSC: Chief Justice

Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussain has said that the processing of complaints against Judges by institutions other than the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) could interfere with the freedom of Judges guaranteed by the Constitution.

The Chief Judge raised this concern in a letter sent to the President of JSC, in which he stressed that the JSC has the constitutional responsibility to look into such matters.

It was recently reported that a complaint against several Judges of the Supreme Court had been filed to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The Chief Justice raised concerns in his letter that this may allow some groups to misuse issues related to the Courts.

He said that trust in the judicial system can only be maintained by addressing the truth behind the suspicions surrounding Judges, and by taking necessary action against groups responsible for creating bad impressions of Judges and Courts.

Faiz Hussain said in his letter that the Constitution stipulates that it is the responsibility of the JSC to process complaints filed against Judges, to ensure the delivery of impartial and just verdicts and the establishment of public confidence in Courts.

JSC also released a press statement today in relation to the same issue.

JSC said in its statement that the evolving practice in the Maldives of defaming Judges through media and other means, subsequent to complaints filed against them, could cause irreversible damage.

JSC accused some media groups of spreading baseless information in relation to the complaints filed to ACC against the Judges, and urged the media to act more responsibly.

It also said that the job of a Judge by nature leaves one group satisfied and another unhappy; hence, efforts which encourage distrust and obstruct Judges’ work will have adverse effects on future generations.

JSC referred to media statements implying people are culpable before they are proven guilty, and said that the opportunity to file complaints to government institutions should not be misused to create doubt about people’s integrity.