MDP issues three-line whip to dismiss Judge Hameed

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s parliamentary group issued a three-line whip on Wednesday to dismiss High Court judge Abdulla Hameed.

The motion passed with a majority vote of 29 out of 35 members who attended the meeting.

The three-line whip comes in response to a request by Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for parliamentary approval to dismiss Judge Hameed and Judge Abdul Rauf Ibrahim.

JSC said an investigation found the judges violated 152 of the Constitution by accepting flats granted as a direct incentive from the government, without any involvement of the Parliament.

The commission said their actions were in violation of the constitution, and the code of conduct for judges.

The case also involved a third judge, Judge Ali Sameer, who resigned in April, before the issue was submitted to the Parliament.

Judge Rauf resigned on Tuesday.

Following a review, Parliament's Judiciary Committee found JSC failed to maintain procedural fairness in the case, and voted to send the case back to JSC to complete the procedures.

Speaker, former president Mohamed Nasheed announced at the parliamentary sitting on Wednesday that the committee’s report would be called to vote on Monday.

The main governing party, MDP holds supermajority at the Parliament with 65 members.