Judicial administration removed from Supreme Court

Parliament on Wednesday approved legal changes for the Department of Judicial Administration to function under the judiciary’s oversight body.

The DJA – which is tasked with public relations, management of the courts and providing facilities, training, archiving systems and security for judges – was brought under the direct control of the Supreme Court in May 2014.

Amendments proposed to the Judicial Service Commission Act by MP Moosa Siraj to bring the department under the watchdog were passed with 63 votes in favour.

Before it was voted through, the bill was amended by parliament’s judiciary committee to state that the existing department would be dissolved. As a result, Dr Ahmed Nazeer, chief judicial administrator and the DJA’s top official, would lose his job upon ratification of the amendments by the president.