Criminal Court Judge Hassan Saeed has been suspended for 14 days for allegedly sending Family Court employees abroad to conduct a marriage ceremony in violation of the court's regulations.
The case against Hassan Saeed alleges that he sent Family Court employees abroad to perform a marriage ceremony in 2018 when he was a senior judge of the Family Court.
The JSC Thursday said that Judge Hassan Saeed, as the Chief Justice of the Family Court, can recommend the Registrar of Marriages to make arrangements for out-of-court marriages. However, it is ultimately the Registrar of Marriages who makes decisions on such matters, said JSC.
The JSC said the advice given by Judge Hassan Saeed to the Registrar of Marriages had facilitated a marriage to take place in violation of the laws, rules, and procedures of the Family Court. Therefore, at the JSC's 13th session held Wednesday, the commission decided to place Judge Hassan Saeed on paid suspension for a period of 14 days.
The JSC is already investigating another case involving Judge Hassan Saeed concerning issuing an order to release former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed's passport and allowing him to leave the country. The Prosecutor General's Office filed a complaint with the JSC to investigate Judge Hassan Saeed due to concerning matters in relation to Ali Waheed's case. The Prosecutor General's Office said it believed Hassan Saeed issued the order to allow Ali Waheed to leave the country in violation of the Constitution.
The recent cases are not the first time that Judge Hassan Saeed has landed in hot water with the JSC. In February 2016, the JSC suspended Hassan Saeed for two years and five months for making remarks about two Criminal Court judges during a meeting with the staff of the Family Court. He was transferred from the Family Court to the Criminal Court after the JSC heard a case against him and gave him advice.
