Parliament's Judiciary Committee has brought changes to the amendments proposed for the Service Commission Act such that Chief Judicial Administrator Dr. Abdulla Nazeer and Judicial Academy Chancellor Ahmed Maajid will lose their positions.
The report made by the Judicial Committee on the amendments proposed by Fonadhoo MP Moosa Siraj said the bill directs the creation of a Department of Judicial Administration as a Government entity with its own set mandate, under the jurisdiction of the Judicial Service Commission. Therefore, the DJA currently under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court will be dissolved with the establishment of the new entity.
The Committee report stated that once the new DJA is established, a new Chief Judicial Administrator will be appointed. Therefore, once the amendment is passed, the current Chief Judicial Administrator Dr Abdulla Nazeer will lose his position.
The bill also gives JSC the power to appoint and dismiss the Chief Judicial Administrator.
The report further stated that administrative employees at the Judicial Academy, and the facilities and responsibilities of the academy will be transferred under DJA. The Academy will be headed by the Chief Judicial Administrator, rendering the current Judicial Academy Chancellor Maajid to lose his position.
Among other changes brought to the bill include decreasing the age of eligible JSC members to above 30 instead of 40.
While the bill previously stated that lawyers who are JSC members cannot represent clients in court, the bill was amended so that the Attorney General can represent people in court.
Chief Judicial Administrator Dr. Abdulla Nazeer
