Supreme Court sets guidelines for the HRCM

Supreme Court has set a code of conduct for the members of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and ordered to abide by it.

A guideline based on 11 points for the members of the HRCM was established by the Supreme Court.

A Suo Moto case against the members of the HRCM came after a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report was submitted to the UN Human Rights Commission, falsely saying that the judicial system of the country is controlled and influenced by the Supreme Court, weakening the judicial powers vested in other superior and lower courts.

Under the new guideline, all activities by the HRCM have to be conducted after confirming that it is being carried out within the law. And every action in defense of human rights has to be taken without disrupting the unity of the nation.

The guidelines say that all programs by the HRCM have to proceed without legally disrupting other institutes and must not do anything to weaken the judicial system.

Supreme Court says that the information on the UPR report was against the constitution and the laws of the HRCM and that the HRCM does not have the right to publish anything that would weaken the judiciary system in such a report.

All the judges of the Supreme Court were on the bench at the case.

The Supreme Court has previously pursued a case of suo moto against former President of Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeq, and former Vice President of Elections Commission Ahmed Fayaz, claiming that they had criticized decisions made by the court. The case was concluded with the court declaring that both of them had lost their positions, and sentencing them to 6 months in prison. However, enforcement of the sentence has been postponed.