High Court rejects Yameen's appeal on pretrial motion

High Court registrar has declined to accept an appeal filed by former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom challenging a pre-trial motion during an ongoing case at the Criminal Court.

The appeal, submitted last Wednesday, sought to overturn the Criminal Court’s decision on a pre-trial motion. Yameen’s legal team argued that the lower court had failed to provide sufficient reasoning for its assessment of the evidence they had asked to be excluded, resulting in what they described as a miscarriage of justice.

In rejecting the appeal, the Registrar referred to established Supreme Court precedents. These include the principle that decisions on the admissibility of evidence at the preliminary stage remain subject to further consideration and a final determination during the trial. The Registrar noted that permitting separate appeals on such matters, rather than addressing them during the trial, could cause unnecessary delays and hinder proceedings in the lower court.

The Registrar also highlighted that, under the Criminal Procedure Act, appeals against pre-trial decisions are limited to matters that cannot be further challenged or resolved during the trial itself. The decision noted that the Criminal Court had not excluded any evidence in this case and had provided sufficient reasons for its ruling. It further stated that excluding potentially admissible evidence is generally more detrimental than initially allowing disputed evidence, as parties retain the opportunity to challenge its admissibility and evidentiary weight during the trial.

Citing established Supreme Court rulings, the Registrar therefore concluded that the appeal could not be accepted for processing by the High Court.