Parliament resolution demands JSC accountability over ouster of Supreme Court judges

A resolution has been submitted to the Parliament calling for the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to be held accountable for the suspension of former Supreme Court justices Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Mahaz Ali Zahir and Husnu Al Suood and the subsequent dismissal of Azmiralda and Mahaz, following the conclusion of the investigation finding that no criminal conduct had occurred.

The resolution, submitted by main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) North Gallolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim, underscored that the Maldives Police Service closed its investigation into the matter after finding no evidence of criminal wrongdoing and as such, the Prosecutor General’s Office decided not to pursue charges against the three justices.

The resolution argues that the suspension of justices Azmiralda, Mahaz and Suood and the subsequent dismissal of Azmiralda and Mahaz, were based on unfounded allegations. It maintains that, as the JSC took action without any substantiated criminal activity, the Commission should be held accountable for its decisions. Ibrahim submitted the resolution to establish Parliament’s position on the matter.

Suood resigned from the top court in protest of JSC’s decision, and the commission later opened misconduct cases against Azmiralda and Mahaz, accusing them of conspiring to influence the Criminal Court. Azmiralda and Mahaz - both of whom have maintained that the allegations against them were baseless and that the investigations by the JSC were tainted by the denial of due process to them - were dismissed by the Parliament with majority votes of 68-11 on May 14, 2025.

More than a year later, both Maldives Police Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office have dropped the cases against Azmiralda and Mahaz, citing lack of evidence.

Following the decision, legal representatives for Azmiralda issued a statement noting that the police documentation explicitly stated that "no criminal act is deemed to have occurred." They argued that this meant the case was not closed merely due to insufficient evidence, but because the allegations themselves lacked merit. The lawyers also noted that the investigation had concluded without Azmiralda ever being summoned for questioning.

"This alone further clarifies that there was never any basis for these allegations from the beginning," the statement from Dr. Azmiralda’s legal team read.

Following the closure of the case, Mahaz said the outcome had demonstrated that the allegations were a targeted and unjust attempt to remove the justices from their positions for specific motives.