Supreme Court Judge Mahaz Ali Zahir has rejected the allegations raised against him in the disciplinary case that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is looking into.
Judge Mahaz is accused of having called Criminal Court Judges and exerting undue influence on the case seeking release when Judge Dr Azmiralda Zahir's husband, Dr Ismail Latheef, had been arrested.
Mahaz's lawyer, Mohamed Faisal, who accompanied the judge to JSC today, stated that the Judge had asserted that the allegations raised against him are baseless and untrue.
Mahaz detailed the events of the day while responding to questions posed by members of the JSC, and assured that there had been no instance where influence could have been exerted over the lower court judges, he said. He asserted that he had not given any instructions to any lower court judges.
Faisal said that it had been about 11:30am on the day when Mahaz had first become aware that a spouse of a Supreme Court judge had been arrested. At this time, the Criminal Court had already ruled on remand. Hence, there was no situation where Mahaz would have exerted influence on the lower court judges, Faisal said.
"Judge Mahaz has convinced committee members of this fact now as well," Faisal said.
Faisal said that the case was submitted to the JSC with false allegations. Judge Mahaz will be given one more opportunity to respond to JSC's investigative report.
Judge Dr Azmiralda Zahir has also been summoned to the JSC regarding the case, with the meeting scheduled for tomorrow. She has requested the JSC to hold the hearing open to the public.
The Anti Corruption Commission is also looking into the case, with some lower court judges having been summoned to provide statements. Both Judges Azmiralda and Mahaz are on suspension due to ACC's investigation.
In addition to this case, the JSC is also investigating another case involving the two judges. This case is around the two judges' presence when former Supreme Court Judge HusnuSuood had summoned High Court's Assistant Registrar Hussain Mohamed Haneef to the Supreme Court and used 'offensive language' while addressing him.
JSC maintains that Judges Mahaz and Azmiralda must bear equal responsibility as Suood for this incident which occurred in October 2022. However, the judges have not yet been officially informed of this. Judge Suood, meanwhile, resigned last week while this case was open.
Judges Suood, Mahaz and Azmiralda were suspended last week just fifteen minutes ahead of a hearing in the case on the revocation of the Constitutional amendment on parliamentarians losing their seat.
The Parliament, meanwhile, passed an amendment to the Judicature Act last week, wherein the number of Judges of the Supreme Court bench will be reduced from seven to five. The bill, however, has not been ratified by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu as of yet.