The Clemency Board has announced it has resolved a record number of cases in 2021, compared to previous years.
The statistics from the Clemency Board show it has resolved 609 cases last year, which is 356% higher compared to the yearly average of resolved cases in the past 11 years. The board has not recorded a single session scheduled in the past three years which had to be cancelled due to lack of quorum.
The Clemency Board was formed by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to prescribe the procedure concerning clemency of individuals convicted of criminal offenses, with reference to Article 115 of the Constitution of Maldives. The board generally handles written requests regarding clemency of individuals.
The board is chaired by the Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath and the administrative support for the board is provided by the administrative division of the Attorney General's Office (AGO). The 11-member board consists of members representing legal, education, social, and health sectors, as well as a religious scholar, a member of a non-governmental organisation, and a member of the parole board.
The board also consists of members representing the Maldives Police Service (MPS), the judicial sector, and the Parliament of the Maldives.