The Supreme Court of the Maldives has designated the amount of financial compensation for murder as USD 65,000.
The financial compensation for murder, known in Islamic Shari’ah as Diya, had been designated as USD 6,500 in the Maldives since 1995 under the regulations on murder trials. However, in some cases, the court has ordered higher amounts as Diya, with USD 8,640 being the highest amount ordered to be paid as Diya in the Maldives. The amount is based on the Islamic Shari’ah which designates 100 camels or the equivalent financial amount as Diya.
The new policy publicised by the Supreme Court states the minimum amount to be taken as Diya has been allocated as USD 65,000. The court stated the amount must be paid within a specific duration as instructed by the court. The court also stated in cases where the death penalty cannot be carried out, individuals convicted of murder must also fast for two consecutive months, in addition to providing the financial compensation to the family or heirs of the victim.
The new policy publicised by the apex court also includes the description of the penalties to be imposed on non-marital sex, wrongfully accusing someone of committing the sin of non-marital sex, and the consumption of alcohol. An individual found guilty of non-marital sex will be subject to 100 lashes and one-year imprisonment, while the penalty for false accusation of non-marital sex is 80 lashes and the additional punishment described by the Penal Code. An individual found guilty of consuming alcohol will be subject to 40 lashes and the additional punishment described in the Penal Code.