Suspended Chief of Criminal Court Ahmed Hailam has resigned from his post on Tuesday, claiming that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is biased.
Judge Hailam was suspended after he shared a controversial Victory Day greeting to a social network group of Criminal Court's Recreation club, which depicted Victory Day hero, Martyr Hussain Adam dragging President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Parliament Speaker former president Mohamed Nasheed and those convicted for the November 3, 1988 terror attack by a chain locked around their necks.
Hailam had claimed he was not aware that the president and the speaker were illustrated in the cartoon. However, then the presiding judge over former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom's money laundering trial, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) suspended Ahmed Hailam mere hours ahead of a hearing during which a verdict was set to be delivered in the trial.
JSC on Sunday made the decision to pursue the judge's dismissal through the Parliament after concluding that Hailam did not possess the disciplinary conduct required of a judge. The Parliament's Judiciary Committee reviewed the recommendation, and concluded that the JSC had sought Hailam's dismissal correctly. Hailam's dismissal was being forwarded to the parliament floor for deliberation when Hailam resigned from the post.
In the letter of resignation sent to JSC sent Tuesday, Hailam said the commission had made decisions regarding him without considering the statements given by him. The decisions made against him were unconstitutional and violates the JSC Act, said Hailam.
He further accused JSC and Parliament's Judiciary Committee of attempting to shape the country's justice system towards a certain political direction, and that the JSC suspended him and pursued his dismissal unlawfully.
Hailam added that JSC did not intend to reform the country's judiciary but was working to ensure that the courts were in the control of certain political groups, and expressed his disappointment.
Judge Ahmed Hailam
