The government is set to restructure its judicial administration in an effort to eliminate political interference and ensure the independence of its courts, said Husnee Mubarik, the President of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and Member of Parliament for Manadhoo. The reform plan follows an announcement by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu regarding legislative amendments designed to strengthen court operations and insulate the judiciary from indirect governmental pressure.
The plan centres on removing the Department of Judicial Administration from the purview of the JSC and re-establishing the Judicial Council to directly oversee the department. President Muizzu asserted that the previous integration of these bodies severely impeded effective management. Appearing on the PSM News programme 'Komaakolhi', Mubarik detailed the resulting administrative difficulties and jurisdictional dilemmas, noting that the previous restructuring left the legal framework deeply ambiguous.
Mubarik noted that the current administration will implement reforms only after comprehensive consultations with stakeholders. "In implementing reforms to the judiciary under the current administration, we actively consult with the judicial courts," Mubarik said. "We engage in deliberate consultations with the presiding judges. These structural changes are not being introduced abruptly or without cause. The recent amendments to the Judges Act were enacted exclusively following thorough deliberation and direct input from the judges themselves. Similarly, we will maintain this rigorous consultative process with the judicial sector when introducing any future amendments to the Judicature Act."
While the Judicial Council established under the Judicature Act of 2010 was dissolved following a Supreme Court ruling, Mubarik expressed absolute confidence that the reconstituted council will be fully insulated from political pressures. "After comprehensively assessing the perspectives of the judicial sector, we will determine whether to retain the structural composition outlined in Article 83 of the Judicature Act or to introduce further modifications," Mubarik stated. "What I can state with absolute certainty is that the Judicial Council will be constituted in a manner completely devoid of political influence. Furthermore, the Judicial Council will be established intrinsically from within the judiciary itself."