High Court Judge Ahmed Shakeel has requested to retire.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has not yet commented regarding Shakeel's retirement request. Even if a judge proposes to retire, the JSC holds the authority to decide on their retirement.
Judge Shakeel was sworn in as a High Court judge on March 13 of this year, following his tenure as the Chief Justice of the Criminal Court. His appointment as a High Court judge followed his oversight of a corruption case involving former President Abdulla Yameen, which resulted in an 11-year prison sentence for the former president. The verdict rendered President Yameen ineligible to compete in the previous presidential election. Consequently, supporters of the opposition PPM and PNC parties characterized Shakeel's transition to the High Court as a "promotion" connected to a politically motivated sentence imposed on President Yameen.
Upon retirement, judges are entitled to a substantial lifelong monthly allowance.
