The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has decided to recommend that President Mohamed Muizzu appoint disgraced former Supreme Court Justice Abdul Ghani Mohamed as the country’s next Chief Justice.
The move follows the retirement of Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan, which prompted the JSC to open nominations for the top judicial post. Ghani, who was dismissed from the Supreme Court in 2019 after a JSC investigation, was one of three former judges who sought the position.
Ghani previously served at the Civil Court and High Court before joining the Supreme Court, where he was removed after Parliament voted 64-0 to oust him. His dismissal followed allegations linked to politically sensitive rulings, including halting the suspension of Supreme Court Justice Abdulla Didi over bribery claims and disqualifying 12 opposition MPs.
The two other nominees were former High Court Chief Justice Shujau Usman and former Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed. Usman was part of the bench that convicted former President Mohamed Nasheed and former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim in terrorism cases condemned as rushed and flawed. He resigned in 2020 after the JSC launched dismissal proceedings. Abdulla Mohamed, widely known as Abdulla Gazee, was central to the 2012 judicial crisis that led to Nasheed’s resignation and has faced longstanding allegations of political bias and ties to criminal gangs.
The Supreme Court is currently under intense scrutiny after a series of removals and resignations. Three of the seven sitting justices were appointed by President Muizzu. Justices Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir were recently removed by Parliament following JSC probes, while Justice Husnu Al Suood resigned citing political interference. Justice Abdulla Hameed has been temporarily performing the duties of Chief Justice since Muthasim Adnan’s retirement.
If confirmed, Abdul Ghani Mohamed will lead a Supreme Court reshaped by the Muizzu administration at a time when it is set to hear politically sensitive cases, including disputes over constitutional amendments affecting MPs’ party switching and retention of seats.