Chief Justice: 2015 a successful year for judiciary

Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed has said that 2015 was a successful year for Maldivian judiciary.

Speaking during ceremony held at Paradise Island Resort on Tuesday night to start Judicial New Year 2016, Abdulla Saeed said that progress had been made in increasing the efficiency of the country’s judiciary, during 2015. And noted that monumental steps had been taken to whip the country’s justice system into shape the past year.

He said that the biggest step in the right direction had been shortening the time period in which a case can be appealed.

“With this change the appeal process is speeded up. It put an end to the difficulties being faced by numerous citizens due to the delay, and put an end to complaints. I believe that this is an important step taken by judiciary to widen the path to justice,” he said.

Abdulla Saeed noted that the judiciary had taken additional important steps during the last year; including opening up two branches of High Court in the atolls, establishing five Civil Court divisions and increasing efficiency of work, steps taken to speed up cases that have been dragging on in the courts, and teams of judges from Male’ sent to speed up cases in courts in the atolls.

At the same time, Abdulla Saeed said that there was still much remaining to be done to increase the efficiency of judiciary.

He said that many legal training and additional training programs were planned for lawyers, judges and others who worked in judiciary, during 2016.

The ceremony at Paradise was attended by Attorney General Mohamed Anil, Defense Minister Adam Shareef Umar and members of Judicial Services Commission, as well as judges from Supreme Court, High Court, Criminal Court, Civil Court and magistrate courts.