Judicial interference by parliament speaker Nasheed: Orders High Court Judge to resign

Speaker of the Parliament and former President Mohamed Nasheed has interfered with the judiciary by personally requesting Judge Abdulla Hameed to resign from his post as a High Court Judge.

According to a close family member of Judge Abdulla Hameed who wishes to remain anonymous and spoke to “TMJ”, Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed personally called Judge Abdulla Hameed and asked him to resign before being dismissed through the Judicial Service Commission.

The Judicial Service Commission is currently mandated with oversight over the entire judiciary, including the power to suspend, appoint and dismiss judges. The commission which includes the Speaker Mohamed Nasheed is led by his long-time attorney MP Hisaan Hussain and her former business partner turned Attorney general Ibrahim Riffath.

High Court Judge Abdulla Hameed faced the possibility of a dismissal through the Judicial Service Commission over an alleged property registered to his name based on which the commission forwarded to the parliament a motion to dismiss Judge Abdulla Hameed. The case, according to parliament by-laws, was forwarded to the Parliament’s Committee on Judiciary for the final review before the parliament voted on his dismissal. However, the committee deemed the case unlawful and rejected motion for dismissal, prompting Speaker Mohamed Nasheed’s personal call for resignation.