UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Setaghtwhaite, has met with Dr. Salma Rasheed, the Maldives' Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, following concerns raised over the recent dismissal of two Supreme Court judges in the Maldives.
According to the Maldives Mission in Geneva, Ambassador Dr. Salma Rasheed reaffirmed the Maldives’ commitment to upholding judicial independence and expressed readiness to engage with the Office of the Special Rapporteur.
Setaghtwhaite confirmed that she had met the Ambassador to discuss her UN mandate, shortly after expressing concern regarding the dismissal of Justices Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir, and the resignation of Husnoo Suood—all suspended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) earlier this year.
The controversy unfolded as a key constitutional case concerning the disqualification of MPs upon party defection was pending at the Supreme Court. During this time, the government submitted a constitutional amendment to reduce the number of Supreme Court justices. The JSC’s decision to suspend three judges came just before the hearing was set to begin.
The Parliament subsequently dismissed Azmiralda and Mahaz after review, while Suood stepped down voluntarily.
The Maldives Mission reiterated that it remains open to continued dialogue and cooperation with the UN Special Rapporteur to ensure adherence to international standards concerning judicial independence.