The Parliamentary Committee on Judicial Services has started reviewing letters submitted by High Court judges Abdul Rauf Ibrahim and Abdulla Hameed regarding the dismissal motion initiated against them by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
JSC is seeking to dismiss Judge Rauf and Judge Hameed after investigating a complaint accusing them of violating Article 152 of the Constitution of the Maldives by accepting government-issued flats at special prices after agreeing to issue a particular verdict in a court case. The commission stated that the government had given the flats directly to the judges without any involvement from the Parliament and that it violates Article 152 of the Constitution, which states that judges shall be paid a salary and allowances that keeps them with the stature of their office as determined by the Parliament.
The dismissal motion is being reviewed by the Parliamentary Committee on Judicial Services. The committee revealed it has also received letters from the two judges regarding the dismissal motion, noting the letters will be reviewed as part of the probe. The committee said it will seek any further clarifications required following the review of the letters, before taking a decision on the dismissal motion.
In the dismissal motion submitted to the Parliament, JSC highlighted that the Parliament has not made special arrangements for the accommodation of judges and that the flats were not given in accordance with any established rules or regulations. Therefore, it stated that the two judges had violated the Constitution by accepting the flats and that they have also violated the code of conduct of judges by taking action that undermines the public’s trust in the judiciary. Due to these reasons, JSC stated it has made the decision to request the dismissal of both judges.