MLI and UNDP hold seminar reflecting on Maldives Penal Code’s 20-year journey

A seminar organized by the Maldives Law Institute (MLI) kicked off in Male’ on Wednesday morning, reflecting on the two decades of work to create and enact the modern Maldives Penal Code.

Organized by the MLI in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the ‘Penal Code at Twenty’ seminar is being held from 09:00 am to 04:00 pm at the Villa College Ocean View Hall.

The modern Maldivian Penal Code was passed by the Parliament in 2014 and officially went into effect in 2015, replacing the old one enacted in the 1960s.

The creation and eventual enactment of the new Penal Code spanned roughly 20 years of total discourse, starting from initial project proposals and academic drafting efforts in 2005, through its eventual implementation in 2015.

The seminar was inaugurated by former Attorney General Dr. Hassan Saeed, who had directed efforts to draft the new Penal Code back in 2015.

Also attending the seminar as guest of honor is Adnan A. Zulfiqar, an Associate Professor of Law at Boston College Law School. He had been part of the team from the University of Pennsylvania that provided technical expertise during the drafting process.

Meanwhile, former Supreme Court Justice and Attorney General Husnu Al Suood, former Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizzu and former Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem are all scheduled to deliver keynote speeches at the seminar.

According to MLI, the seminar reflects on this 20-year journey, from the development and eventual implementation of the new Penal Code, to its development and the challenges it faces.

This includes extensive discussions on the decade-long journey it took to pass the new Penal Code, and the challenges and obstacles faced during the process, as well as in-depth analysis of the five amendments made to the Penal Code to date, including why the changes were made and its effect on the justice system.

The seminar also examines on the pressure to get the new Penal Code during the first year of its enactment and challenges in getting it implemented.

MLI believes the seminar offers a valuable opportunity to examine the major changes to the Maldives criminal justice system and the work that remains to be done.