Parliament schedules dismissal of top court justices on agenda

The Parliament has scheduled the matter of the dismissal of Supreme Court justices Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir following the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)’s decision earlier today to recommend their dismissal.

JSC suspended three Supreme Court justices on February 26^th – Husnu Al-Suood, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir – citing criminal investigations against them by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Suood subsequently resigned on March 4^th as JSC investigated disciplinary cases against the three justices.

The Commission, on Sunday, said its Disciplinary Committee found both Azmiralda and Mahaz guilty of influencing Criminal Court judges. As such, the Commission said they have resolved to recommend their dismissal to the Parliament effectively.

The agenda for Monday’s parliamentary sitting was published tonight. One of the matters on the agenda, includes forwarding the dismissal of the Supreme Court justices as recommended by JSC to the relevant standing committee for review.

Notably, three out of the seven Supreme Court justices were suspended as the court reviewed a case challenging a contentious amendment to the Constitution that added anti-defection clauses. The controversial amendment added three more circumstances where parliamentarians will lose their seat, including if they are expelled from their political party.

On the same day the justices were suspended, a ruling PNC-dominated Parliament passed a contentious amendment to the Judicature Act to downsize the Supreme Court bench from seven to five justices. However, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has sent the bill back to Parliament for reconsideration. The Parliament has again sent the bill to Judiciary Committee for amendments despite calls from the opposition as well as from within ruling PNC itself to reject the bill.

Both Azmiralda and Suood have accused President Muizzu of influencing the judiciary – an allegation denied by the President during a press conference on Saturday.

While the three justices were supposedly suspended due to ongoing criminal investigations against them by ACC, Azmiralda has lodged a complaint against ACC’s president Adam Shamil, accusing him of influencing the judiciary. ACC has registered the case.

Azmiralda has also raised serious concerns regarding the JSC investigation. 

Her legal representative, Ibrahim Shameel, has stated that allegations against Azmiralda were shifted post-investigation and that the investigation was procedurally unlawful and beyond the scope of the law.