Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has requested the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to approve additional allowances for retiring chief justices; a move which comes after incumbent Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan has filed for retirement. 
The Committee is presently amending judges’ retirement regulations.
Muthasim filed for retirement shortly after JSC suspended three Supreme Court justices on February 26th – Husnu Al-Suood, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir – citing criminal investigations against them by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Suood resigned on March 4th, while Azmiralda and Mahaz were dismissed by the Parliament in a majority vote on May 14th.
JSC has yet to make a decision on Muthasim’s retirement.
Sun has obtained a copy of a letter from JSC proposing additional allowances for retiring chief justices. At present, retiring chief justices will receive a lump sum payment of MVR 185,100. JSC has proposed to increase this sum to MVR 493,600. It further seeks to increase the monthly living allowance to MVR 70,000, up from MVR 47,182.50.
The Commission has also proposed continued transportation benefits including a driver and fuel charges, and a recalculated retirement allowance based on the total duration of service to the state, rather than solely the time served as a judge.
Muthasim has served as a judge for nine years, six months and 11 years. However, he has served the state for 24 years, four months and 18 days.
The first lawmaker to debate on the proposed changes was the Parliament’s Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, who spoke in favor of them.
Allegations of a “deal”
Meanwhile, two opposition lawmakers from Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), debated strongly against the proposals.
Parliament's Public Accounts Committee: The Committee is reviewing a proposal to increase allowances to retiring chief justices. (Photo/People's Majlis)
In this regard, Hanimadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa and South Hulhumale’ MP Mohamed Shamheed had alleged that the proposals were part of a “deal”.
“Just giving a retirement package because someone demands they will only retire when these things are fulfilled?” Ghafoor questioned, while stressing that retirement benefits should not be introduced to cater to a specific person when they are retiring.
Shamheed also raised the same points. As an example, he pointed out that a nurse who has served the state for 25 years would not be entitled to such a benefit either. He expressed his view that a nurse would have done more for the nation than the chief justice.
“[We] do not have to give something that the nation’s hard workers do not get just because some has served as a judge for a couple of years,” he added.
“[He] has filed for retirement. Just to give to him, we are supposed to amend the laws and regulations here. This is not how things should be done. Doing something for the sake of a specific person, that is corruption,” he stressed.
Then-Supreme Court justices, Suood, Azmiralda and Mahaz, were suspended as the court reviewed a case challenging a contentious amendment to the constitution that added anti-defection clauses. The controversial amendment added three more circumstances where parliamentarians will lose their seat, including if they are expelled from their political party.
The government has subsequently been accused of attempting to influence the case; an allegation the government has repeatedly denied.