Shaheed to represent Supreme Court at JSC

Supreme Court, on Wednesday, has approved Justice Hussain Shaheed, who was recently appointed to the court, as the top court’s representative at the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

Prior to this, the Court was represented at JSC by Justice Husnu Al-Suood, who resigned on March 4^th.

Subsequently, JSC opened applications for the vacancy on March 10^th. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu nominated Shaheed for the role out of the applicant, who received the unanimous backing of the Parliament on March 19^th. He was appointed to the post on the same day.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court’s Spokesperson confirmed to Sun that the court approved Shaheed as its new representative at JSC.

Shaheed received his higher education in sharia and law from the Al-Azhar University in Egypt and from the Kulliyathul Dhiraasaathul Islaamiyya. He attained his Masters of Judicial Science and Sharia Policy from the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM).

Shaheed was appointed to the High Court on July 24, 2018, and as the chief judge of the court on October 30, 2023. He previously served as a magistrate at the S. Feydhoo Court, a magistrate at the N. Holhudhoo Court, and as a judge at the Criminal Court.

Suood, who was appointed to the bench of the country’s top court in December 2019, resigned on March 4, after he and two other Supreme Court justices – Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir – were suspended by JSC, citing an ongoing criminal investigation against them by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on February 26. Their suspension came less than one hour ahead of a hearing scheduled at the Supreme Court regarding a request for an injunction to suspend the enforcement of controversial anti-defection clauses that were written into the Constitution last year. It also came shortly after the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) used its supermajority in the Parliament to push through amendments to the Judicature Act to downsize the Supreme Court bench from seven to five justices.

In his resignation letter, Suood raised serious allegations of government intimidation since the top court decided it had jurisdiction to review the constitutional case regarding the anti-defection clauses.

Meanwhile, the contentious judicature bill remained unsigned for close to two weeks, and was sent back to the Parliament for reconsideration on March 11. It is currently under review by the Judiciary Committee.