Parliamentary Committee on Judiciary has rebuffed claims that delays in processing bills by the Parliament are obstructing efforts to deliver justice.
The Judiciary Committee made the statement in a press conference held on May 3. The press conference was held following remarks by the Legal Counsel to the President Ahmed Abdulla Afeef criticising the parliament for delays in processing certain bills related to the justice system.
Speaking at the press conference, Chair of the Judiciary Committee Parliamentarian Imthiyaz Fahmy said the committee works very hard to ensure important laws are passed without delay once the bills reach the committee. However, he said the government has not been able to submit bills to the parliament as scheduled, noting only 7 of the 33 bills scheduled to be submitted during the first term of the annual parliamentary session for this year had actually been submitted. He added none of the important bills related to the justice system, such as the amendment bills to the Judicature Act and Judges Act, have been submitted by the government this year.
Responding to claims by the Legal Counsel that the Civil Procedures Bill has not been processed by the parliament committee, Imthiyaz noted it took the Attorney General’s Office about an year to send its final version of the bill to the parliament. Therefore, he said claims that the bill is being delayed by the committee are false and unacceptable.
The response by the parliament committee came following a press conference by the President’s Office, where the Legal Counsel to the President Ahmed Abdulla Afeef spoke about the government’s policies in providing compensation for damages incurred due to termination of contracts. Responding to criticism on the award of compensation to Mandhu College over the termination of the contract to lease the former MES Building, Afeef said the government is working on ensuring justice is delivered to all parties.