Family Court Chief Justice Mahir applies for High Court post

Family Court Chief Justice Ibrahim Mahir has on Sunday applied for the vacant High Court judge's post.

This development comes after the previous nominee, Mohamed Shahid, retracted his name on the day of his scheduled swearing-in.

The High Court bench had one vacancy, and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) initially selected Mohamed Shahid.

However, Shahid, who had recently served as deputy minister of the homeland ministry until July 10—the same day applications for the judgeship opened—faced criticism regarding the judiciary's independence. His subsequent refusal to take the oath led the JSC to re-announce the search for a new High Court judge.

The deadline for applications for the High Court judgeship is Tuesday afternoon. While the JSC has not yet publicly announced the names of nominees, reliable sources indicate that Family Court Chief Justice Mahir is among those who have applied.

Sources also revealed that several other senior judges from lower courts have submitted their applications.

Mahir was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Family Court following Huzaifa Mohamed's promotion to the High Court.

He is the longest-serving judge at the Family Court, having worked there for approximately 15 years. Mahir's judicial career began on November 9, 2005, when he was first appointed as a Civil Court judge. He then became a Family Court judge on May 23, 2010.