Supreme Court Justice Husnussuood Resigns Amid Allegations of Government Interference

Supreme Court Justice Husnussuood has resigned from his position, citing government intimidation of judges and the suspension of Supreme Court justices as reasons for his decision. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has accepted his resignation, officially removing him from the judiciary.

According to reports by Maldivian, Justice Husnussuood submitted his resignation letter to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, instead of the JSC chairperson, as required under the Judges Act. Initially, the JSC continued its investigations into Husnussuood, stating that they had not received his resignation letter. However, the letter was later submitted to the JSC, leading to the commission’s decision to remove him from his position, effective March 4, 2024.

In his resignation letter, Husnussuood alleged that the government was unconstitutionally influencing the Supreme Court, particularly after the court ruled on its jurisdiction over cases involving MPs losing their seats upon party switching.

Justice Husnussuood was appointed to the Supreme Court on December 8, 2019. His resignation follows the suspension of Supreme Court Justices Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir on February 26, after the JSC received information from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding an ongoing investigation.

The JSC has not issued a response to the allegations raised in Husnussuood’s resignation letter.