Change to Judiciary Committee a temporary one; Nizar back in Committee

The change made to the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee, which is currently reviewing the dismissal of two Supreme Court justices, has been reversed.

The change to the composition of the Judiciary Committee was announced at Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting. In this regard, ruling PNC’s North Feydhoo MP Ismail Nizar was dismissed from the Committee and replaced by Kolamaafushi MP Ibrahim Didi, another ruling party lawmaker.

However, it was Nizar who attended the meeting of the Committee on Thursday.

While opening Thursday’s meeting, the Committee’s chairperson, Manadhoo MP Husnee Mubarik explained that the change to the composition of the Committee made Tuesday was a temporary one as Nizar was overseas on an official visit to represent the Parliament at a seminar.

He added that the composition of the Committee has been reversed to how it initially was following Nizar’s return.

“I am noting this as the news was reported on the media in a manner that suggests the change was made with ulterior motives,” he stressed.

Thursday's Judiciary Committee meeting did not have the dismissal of Supreme Court justices on the agenda, but instead, had the review of the government-backed bill on the prevention of gang crimes and other dangerous offenses. 

Judicial Service Commission (JSC) suspended three Supreme Court justices on February 26^th – Husnu Al-Suood, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir – citing criminal investigations against them by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Suood subsequently resigned on March 4^th as JSC investigated disciplinary cases against the three justices.

The Commission, on Sunday, said its Disciplinary Committee found both Azmiralda and Mahaz guilty of influencing Criminal Court judges and, as such, recommended their dismissal to the Parliament.

The matter was forwarded to the Judiciary Committee for review on Monday.

Three out of the seven Supreme Court justices were suspended as the court reviewed a case challenging a contentious amendment to the Constitution that added anti-defection clauses. The controversial amendment added three more circumstances where parliamentarians will lose their seat, including if they are expelled from their political party.

On the same day the justices were suspended, a ruling PNC-dominated Parliament passed a contentious amendment to the Judicature Act to downsize the Supreme Court bench from seven to five justices. However, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has sent the bill back to Parliament for reconsideration. The Parliament has again sent the bill to Judiciary Committee for amendments despite calls from the opposition as well as from within PNC itself to reject the bill.

Both Azmiralda and Suood have accused President Muizzu of influencing the judiciary – an allegation denied by the President during a press conference on Saturday.