Legal changes propose removal of convicted judges without parliament vote
A ruling party lawmaker proposed amending the Judges Act to trigger automatic removal if a judge is convicted of a criminal offence, bypassing the parliamentary vote called for by the constitution.
07 Mar 2018, 9:00 AM
A ruling party lawmaker has proposed legal changes to trigger removal from office if a judge is convicted of a criminal offence, bypassing the parliamentary vote called for by the constitution.
A sitting judge can only be removed if the judicial watchdog finds he is guilty of gross incompetence or misconduct and submits a resolution to be passed by a two-thirds majority of parliament.
But MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla’s amendments to the Judges Act state the process will be inapplicable because dismissal due to a guilty verdict would not amount to “an action taken in relation to an ethical or disciplinary case.”
According to the bill – which was introduced to the parliament floor during a two-minute sitting Wednesday morning and is expected to be up for debate next Monday – a judge will be automatically removed once the verdict is upheld on appeal.
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