Supreme Court scheduled to begin hearings over President, Vice President pay cut on Oct. 15

Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearings in response to a constitutional petition lodged with the court, which challenges the legality of the decision by the Parliament to impose pay cuts on the President, Vice President and heads of independent institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on October 15.

The petition was lodged with the Supreme Court by former Civil Court judge Mohamed Haleem on June 1.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing in the case for 11:00 am on October 15. The hearing will be held virtually, via Microsoft Teams.

The Parliament passed a report compiled by the Public Accounts Committee recommending a reduction in the pay of officials whose pay is determined by the Parliament, and who earn above MVR 20,000 on May 21. The officials whose pay was reduced include President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Vice President Faisal Naseem.

However, the move drew criticism from legal experts, who noted that the pay of the President and Vice President is declared under a specific Act, and argued that their pay therefore cannot be cut without amending the Act in question.

Haleem made the same argument in his petition, and has asked the court to declare that the decision of the Parliament as unlawful.

The pay of the President and Vice President is declared under President and Vice President’s Salaries and Benefits Act. Article 3 of the Act declares the salary of the President as MVR 100,000, while Article 10 of the Act declares the salary of the Vice President as MVR 75,000.