The Parliament during its final sitting of the current term has approved to appoint former Supreme Court Justice Mu'thasim Adnan for the post of Chief Justice.
Mu'thasim was approved for the post with the votes of 68 members.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih nominated Mu'thasim's name for the post when the post become vacant after the parliament dismissed former Chief Justice Dr. Ahmed Abdulla Didi.
According to the constitution, a Chief Justice can be appointed after the President sends a nomination to the parliament based on counsel of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). After the nomination is forwarded, the parliament will deliberate and decide on the matter.
After Mu'thasim's name was nominated by President Solih, the Judiciary Committee assessed the nomination and concluded that the JSC had backed the president's nomination according to the due procedures.
Mu'thasim was among the first justices appointed to the Supreme Court. However, the 18th Parliament amended the Judges Act to decrease the number of justices in the Supreme Court from seven to five. Mu'thasim, and then Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz lost their positions due to the amendment.
Mu'thasim will become the fourth Chief Justice to be apopinted under the current constitution. With his re-appointment to the Supreme Court bench, he will become the only justice remaining at the court from among the first judges originally appointed to the court. The remaining justices all eventually lost their positions, with Judge Abdulla Saeed and Judge Ali Hameed being charged with criminal offences after a controversial court order was issued by the Supreme Court on February 1, 2018 ordering the release of the then opposition political detainees.
Former Chief Justice Dr. Ahmed Abdulla Didi who became Chief Justice after Faiz was dismissed, and Judge Adam Mohamed were both recently dismissed over unlawful rulings passed by the Supreme Court, and Judge Abdulla Areef resigned amid an investigation into the same matter.
Currently, Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, Jude Aisha Sujune, Judge Mahaz Ali sit on the Supreme Court bench in addition to Mu'thasim. The Parliament has also approved to appoint former Attorney General Husnu-al-Suood to the Supreme Court. Two vacancies still remain on the bench.
