Three judges transferred

The Judicial Service Commission on Tuesday transferred three family court judges to the criminal court and the civil court.

Judges Mohamed Sameer and Ahmed Shakeel were moved to the criminal court while Judge Hassan Shafeeu was transferred to the civil court.

The unanimous decision for their transfer was made at a meeting of the JSC, a 10-member oversight body tasked with investigating complaints and taking disciplinary action against judges.

On February 6, the JSC transferred Judge Adam Arif to the drug court. Judge Ali Rasheed from the drug court and Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad from the civil court were transferred to the criminal court.

As the former acting chief judge, Arif had presided over several high-profile cases, including the bribery trial of Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim. Last August, he acquitted two suspects charged over the abduction of journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

According to the JSC, the judges were transferred after the Supreme Court made the decision and informed the commission.

Removing the apex court’s powers to appoint and transfer judges, suspend lawyers, and take over cases from lower courts is part of sweeping changes for judicial reform proposed by the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party.

The MDP plans to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court if the party secures a parliamentary majority in the April 6 polls.

Last month, Chief Justice Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi characterised the MDP’s proposals as “efforts to render the Supreme Court of the Maldives powerless and rob it of its status as the highest authority of the judiciary in order to achieve a political purpose in the name reforming the judiciary.”

Photo from Sun