Proposition to reduce Judges is a warning: Nasheed

Kulhudhuffushi Dhekunu MP Mohamed Nasheed has said that the purpose of MDP’s proposition to the Parliament to reduce the number of Judges of Supreme Court and High Court is to issue a warning to the Judges involved. He said that its purpose is to cause them the fear and trepidation of losing their jobs.

In an interview with Sun Online today, Nasheed said that this bill is proposed to the Parliament to inform the Judges that they are on the edge of losing their jobs. He also said that the purpose of this bill is not to reduce the Judges of the two higher courts. If this bill is passed, the both Supreme Court and High Court have to be set up from scratch.

“It would result in all the current Judges of Supreme Court and High Court losing their jobs. The bill does not propose the removal of certain people. If the number of Judges is reduced, the entire courts have to be set up again. The purpose of this is to threaten the Judges of lower and higher courts that they are about to lose their jobs,” Lawyer Nasheed said.

The former Legal Reform Minister said that the number of Judges contained by each court was decided about one and a half years ago, based on a number agreed upon as a moderate solution.

“The only political motive behind this is to threaten the Judges. It is to warn Judges to do as they are told, or they stand to lose their jobs,” Nasheed said.

Nasheed does not believe that his bill will gain much popularity or support at the Parliament.

“I don’t think this bill will be passed. The bill does not consist of rules which are acceptable, especially in the current situation. I think the purpose of this bill is just to issue a warning, so I don’t think it will get enough votes for it to be passed,” Nasheed said.

MDP submitted a bill to the Parliament proposing the reduction of the number of Supreme Court Judges to five and High Court Judges to seven. Currently the Supreme Court consists of seven Judges while the High Court consists of nine Judges.

In the revision proposed by MDP to article five of the Judges legislation, they suggest that the Supreme Court should consist of a total of five Judges, that is, the Chief Justice plus four appointed Judges.

They proposed that the High Court should consist of a total of seven Judges, that is, a Chief Judge plus six appointed Judges.

MDP also proposed the removal of article 16 of the Judges legislation subsequent to the passing of this bill. They also said that Judges have to be appointed within thirty days of the passing of this bill.