The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has sent three bills to the President's Office to be proposed to the Parliament of the Maldives. They are a bill on Zakat, a bill on marine spatial planning, and an amendment bill to the Drugs Act.
Morever, the AGO recently expressed concern regarding the delay of numerous bills spanning various sectors that have been submitted to Parliament. The AGO stated that the government proposed a total of 30 bills to the parliament, including a range of social sectors and amendments aimed at fortifying the justice system in the Maldives. Among the bills intended to strengthen the justice system are proposals for amendments to the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Transfer of Legal Aid in Criminal Cases Act.
Additionally, the AGO stated these bills are still pending at various parliamentary stages, underscoring that the bills addressed laws related to the administration of justice. These included amendments to court composition and magistrate appointments, the formulation of a new code of conduct for judges, the reassessment of judges' living allowances, and modifications to regulations governing the evaluation of judges' quality.
Furthermore, the AGO highlighted the unresolved status of bills concerning the protection of workers' rights, such as the Workplace Safety and Health Protection Bill and the Industrial Relations Bill, along with the Infrastructure Planning and Management Bill. Important bills related to business and public health are also pending. The AGO further disclosed that the government has introduced a total of 153 bills, with 120 passing and being ratified since November 17, 2018.