President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s decision to introduce a block grant for the judiciary will significantly ease the administrative challenges facing courts and help speed up justice, says the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA).
In a post on X on Thursday morning, President Muizzu said that financial independence is crucial for courts to work free from influence.
He said that his cabinet decided on Wednesday to introduce major changes in the 2026 state budget, focused on granting the judiciary financial and administrative independence like never before.
According to President Muizzu, this involves disbursing a block grant to the judiciary under a specific set of rules that is equivalent to a specific percentage of the state’s projected annual revenue.
The DJA issued a statement in the afternoon welcoming the decision, describing it as a huge achievement for the future of Maldivian judiciary.
“…And we not that this will provide a significant ease for the administrative challenges that courts face in delivering swift and speedy justice,” added the office.
ދަޢުލަތުގެ އާމްދަނީ އިން ވަކި އިންސައްތައެއް ޝަރުޢީދާއިރާއަށް ކަނޑައެޅުއްވުމަށް ނިންމެވުން. pic.twitter.com/TWgLjHMYuR
— Maldives Judiciary (@judiciarymv) September 11, 2025
President Muizzu hasn’t specified the percentage that will be allocated for the block grant or provide details on the set of rules the money will be disbursed based on.
He said the funds will be disbursed through a mechanism that allows the judiciary to operate with full financial independence.
“As such, we decided that the percentage will be one that is higher than the current budget ceiling for the judiciary. We have now initiated the legal, technical and systemic changes that this requires,” he said.
Like all other Maldivian leaders before him, President Muizzu got elected to office with the promise to stop all government interference in the judiciary. During his 2023 inaugural speech, he famously declared that all influence over the judiciary had come to an immediate end “as of right this moment.”
However, his administration has been plagued with allegations of undermining Maldives’ judicial independence – allegations that grew stronger after three Supreme Court justices - Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Mahaz Ali Zahir and Husnu Al-Suood - were suspended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), citing an ongoing investigation by the against them by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). All three were hearing a case challenging the controversial move by the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) to write anti-defection clauses into the Maldivian constitution.  It also came shortly after the ruling PNC used its supermajority in the Parliament to push through amendments to the Judicature Act to downsize the Supreme Court bench from seven to five justices - a bill that was later tabled following public backlash.
Suood resigned from the top court in protest of JSC’s decision, and the commission later opened misconduct cases against Azmiralda and Mahaz, accusing them of conspiring to influence the Criminal Court. Azmiralda and Mahaz - both of whom claim that the allegations against them are baseless and that the investigations by the JSC were tainted by the denial of due process to them - were dismissed by the Parliament with majority votes of 68-11 on May 14.
President Muizzu's administration drew more criticism again in July, when the JSC picked Mohamed Shaheed, a senior activist at PNC with no experience in judgeship, for appointment to the High Court over other more qualified candidates with education and experience in the field. Shaheed had later withdrawn his candidacy following public backlash.