President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has nominated Abdul Ghanee Mohamed, a former Justice of the Supreme Court, to serve as Chief Justice. The nomination has been submitted to the Parliament and referred to its Judiciary Committee for review. Following deliberations, the committee has now approved the nomination, paving the way for Abdul Ghanee's appointment.
The vacancy followed last month's retirement of Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan. To identify a successor, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) launched a formal selection process, drawing applications from three candidates: Abdul Ghanee Mohamed; Shujau Usman, the former Chief Judge of the High Court; and Abdulla Mohamed, currently serving on the Family Court and previously Chief Judge of the Criminal Court.
Interviews with all three applicants culminated in the JSC's recommendation of Abdul Ghanee for the role. In accordance with constitutional procedures, the president advances a nomination based on the commission's advice, subject to parliamentary ratification. The Secretary-General subsequently read the president's correspondence before the parliament, after which the nomination was formally referred to the Judiciary Committee for deliberation.
Abdul Ghanee brings to the candidacy more than two decades of experience across multiple tiers of the Maldivian judiciary. He served on the Civil Court from 2000 to 2004, then spent 14 years on the High Court, including a tenure as Chief Judge. His appointment to the Supreme Court in June 2018 concluded in December 2019 when the parliament voted for his removal following a ruling issued by the Court.
Since last year, he has held the position of president of the Tax Appeal Tribunal.