Parliament has approved the appointment of High Court Senior Judge Hussain Shaheed to the Supreme Court, a significant step towards filling a vacancy on the nation's highest judicial body.
The decision was formalised during a parliamentary session on Wednesday, following the nomination of Judge Shaheed by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. Ahead of the session, the Judiciary Committee of Parliament conducted a comprehensive review of the nomination, producing a report that was debated before the final vote.
In its findings, the Judiciary Committee confirmed that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) had adhered to rigorous standards of due diligence before recommending Judge Shaheed for the position.
The vacancy on the bench arose after Justice Husnu Al Suood stepped down amid a corruption investigation. This prompted the JSC to launch two rounds of applications to identify a suitable candidate; it received applications from three contenders.
Among those considered, Judge Shaheed stood alongside Mariyam Nihayath, a former civil court judge and deputy prosecutor general, as well as Rusdulla Ibrahim, a lawyer.
Judge Shaheed’s extensive academic credentials and professional achievements have made him a distinguished figure in the Maldivian judiciary. He pursued his studies in law and Islamic Shariah at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and the Kulliyyath al-Dhiraasath al-Islamiyya in the Maldives, later obtaining a master’s degree in Islamic judicial science and Shariah policy from the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM).
Throughout his career, Judge Shaheed has held a series of notable judicial roles, including magistrate of Feydhoo Magistrate Court in Addu City and senior magistrate of Holhudhoo Magistrate Court in Noonu Atoll. He also served as a judge at the Criminal Court before being appointed to the High Court in 2018. In November 2022, he assumed the role of Acting Senior Judge, which was formally confirmed on 30 October 2023.
The seven-member apex court bench comprises Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan and Justices Dr Azmiralda Zahir, Aisha Shujune Muhammad, Mahaz Ali Zahir, Ali Rasheed Hussain, and Dr Mohamed Ibrahim. However, two justices, Dr Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir, remain under suspension as investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into allegations of misconduct continue.