President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday returned to Parliament for reconsideration a bill that would reduce the number of Supreme Court justices from seven to five.
Muizzu returned the bill under Article 91(a) of the Constitution, which allows the president to send legislation back to Parliament for further review before ratification. The President’s Office did not provide any reason for the decision.
The Parliament, controlled by Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC), passed an amendment to the Judicature Act on 26 February, shortly before a scheduled Supreme Court hearing on a constitutional challenge to a controversial amendment to the Constitution, which strips lawmakers of their seats if they leave or are expelled from the party under which they were elected. The hearing was set for 11:00 a.m., while the bill was passed at 10:07 a.m.
On the same day, just minutes before the apex court hearing, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) suspended three justices—Husnu Al Suood, Mahaz Ali Zahir, and Aishath Azmiralda Zahir—citing ongoing investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as the reason for their suspension.
Justice Husnu Al Suood resigned in protest last Tuesday, alleging undue influence by Muizzu on the judges handling the constitutional case. In his resignation letter to the president, Suood condemned the suspensions as an attempt by the government to interfere with the judiciary and halt the case.
The JSC has since held hearings on disciplinary complaints against the two remaining suspended justices.
Parliament’s Counsel General Fathimath Filza earlier warned against dismissing judges solely to implement the new law, calling it unfair. The legislation does not grant justices the opportunity to respond before being declared unfit for office.
The amendment has drawn criticism from opposition figures and legal experts, who see it as part of a broader effort by President Muizzu to exert control over the judiciary.