Group of lawyers seek court order to stop JSC process of appointing Judges for Superior Courts

A group of lawyers have today filed a case at the Civil Court, seeking an order to stop the process of appointing new Judges for Superior Courts currently being carried out by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) of the Maldives.

A group of 8 lawyers filed the case today, claiming that the JSC has been continuing the process of judicial appointments in contravention to constitutional provisions and principles. Their claim requested the Court to order JSC to immediately discontinue the process of appointment and recommence the same process in accord with a fair and just regulation.

Speaking to the press at Su’ood Law Firm today, Ali Hussain, one of the 8 lawyers who filed the case, said that the current by-law followed by the JSC in judicial appointments was not compliant with Article 17 of the Constitution. He also said that the same by-law violated Article 15 of the Judges Act 2011. He said that the suit filed today requested the court to declare the by-law void as well.

Ali Hussain accused two members of the JSC of acting in furtherance of personal interests in the process of appointing Judges. Declining to mention the names of those two members, Ali said that they were in the interview panel when a business partner to one and a relative of another were interviewed for judgeship.

Ali also said that in allocating points for academic certificates, the JSC acted in contravention to the national standards set out by the Maldives Qualification Authority. “The efficiency of the Maldivian Judiciary depends on well-qualified people who work in the organ. However, the JSC’s current policy is not to appoint as judges those who are academically up to the job, but to appoint those whom they prefer over others for their own reasons”, Ali said.