The Parliament has referred an amendment to the Judicature Act, which proposes reducing the Supreme Court bench from seven to five justices, to the Judiciary Committee for further examination. This decision was prompted by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu's recent return of the bill for reconsideration.
On 11 March, the president formally sent the bill back to lawmakers after consultations with the Attorney General's Office (AGO). During Monday's parliamentary session, his letter detailing the reasons for reconsideration was presented to members, setting the stage for a vote that saw the bill redirected for additional scrutiny.
Majority Leader Ibrahim Falah, who represents the Inguraidhoo constituency, introduced the motion to send the legislation to committee. The debate that followed brought sharply contrasting perspectives from the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) and the opposition.
PNC lawmakers spoke at length about the bill's alignment with judicial reforms, defending its earlier approval. They pointed to the president's letter, which outlined specific concerns, as a constructive step towards strengthening the legislation.
Opposition members reiterated their reservations, raising issues they had brought forward prior to the bill's initial passage. Ultimately, the motion to refer the bill to the Judiciary Committee passed with 50 votes in favour, and seven lawmakers opposed the move.
President Dr Muizzu's decision to return the bill followed a legal assessment by the AGO. The office concluded that while the Constitution and the Judicature Act require mechanisms to evaluate judicial competence in disciplinary cases, the proposed amendments fail to specify how such evaluations would be conducted. The Judiciary Committee will now undertake a detailed review of the legislation to address these gaps.