HRCM: We had already been following the SC guideline

Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has declared that 11-point guideline issued by Supreme Court in June, 2015, after its suo moto case against HRCM had already been in practice by the commission.

HRCM made the comment in a press release it issued to address concern by some who see the 11-point guideline by the Supreme Court was a threat to the commission’s independence and integrity.

HRCM said that they had a meeting with the Chief Justice on March 22, 2016 to help interpret the Supreme Court guideline. And that by end of the meeting, the commission had drawn the conclusion that the guideline was not a threat.

“It was concluded during the meeting that the Supreme Court guideline was in no way a threat to the commission being able to carry out the commission’s duties, follow Constitution of the Republic of Maldives and Human Rights Commission Act, and the international declarations Maldives is a part of with independence and integrity,” read the press statement.

HRCM said that, from that day forward, the commission had stopped verifying contents of reports and information it was obligated to send to United Nations and other organizations from other sources, and was instead sending it straight to UN and other organization without any in-between.

“The Supreme Guideline was issued after a suo moto case by the court in June, 2015. The 11 points written in the guideline were already in practice by the commission even before the existence of the guideline,” said HRCM.

HRCM called allegations over the integrity and impartiality of the commission without any true knowledge of reality as “irresponsible”.