Parliament's Judiciary Committee has been tasked with reviewing the potential dismissal of Supreme Court Justices Dr Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir, following a formal submission during Monday's legislative session. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which initiated the removal proceedings, presented the matter in an official letter to parliament. The correspondence, introduced during the session, outlines allegations of judicial interference involving the two justices.
According to the JSC, it has been established that Justices Zahir and Ali Zahir sought to influence Criminal Court Judge Ibrahim Zihuny regarding a ruling on the detention of Dr Ismail Latheef, who was taken into police custody on 4 April. The alleged interference, facilitated through Criminal Court Judge Safwath Habeeb, reportedly aimed to shape the court's determination on Latheef's detention.
The commission asserts that these actions constitute violations of the Constitution, the Judicature Act, and the Code of Conduct for Judges. Citing provisions of the Judicial Service Commission Act, the JSC has formally requested a parliamentary determination on the continued tenure of the two justices.
The allegations come in the wake of a broader judicial shakeup. In late February, the JSC suspended three Supreme Court Justices—Dr Azmiralda Zahir, Mahaz Ali Zahir, and Husnu Al Suood—as part of an ongoing review. Justice Husnu Al Suood later resigned from the bench after the proceedings began.