Criminal investigation against suspended Supreme Court justices

Judicial Service Commission (JSC) states the Commission suspended three Supreme Court justices as a they are the subjects of a criminal investigation.

The three Supreme Court justices that were suspended earlier on Wednesday are:  Husnu Al-Suood, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, and Mahaz Ali Zahir.

JSC said the three justices were suspended after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), via a letter, informed the Commission that the three justices are the subjects of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Notably, the three justices were suspended shortly before a key hearing on an injunction seeking to suspend the controversial anti-defection clauses written into the Constitution in November last year.

The hearing on the injunction seeking to suspend the controversial anti-defection clauses written into the Constitution was scheduled for 11:00am this morning.

Meanwhile, the Parliament, at 10:00pm, passed the government-backed amendment to the Judicature Act to downsize the Supreme Court bench from seven to five justices.

The amendment as submitted on Sunday night by Holhudhoo MP Abdul Sattar Mohamed – a member of ruling PNC, which holds supermajority in the Parliament.

While 79 MPs were in attendance for the sitting, the bill passed with a majority vote of 68-9.

The amendment to the Judicature Act is designed to downsize the Supreme Court’s bench from seven to five justices – meaning that two incumbent justices will need to be removed.

Notably, Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case seeking to dismiss the anti-defection clauses written into the Constitution in November last year, arguing that the amendment violates key provisions of the Constitution, as well as the basic structure doctrine.