Maldives Bar Council can only fulfil its mandate if the state respects its independence: President

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has acknowledged the Maldives Bar Council can only fulfil its mandate if the state respects its independence and gives them the necessary resources and support to effectively function.

In a meeting with the newly inaugurated Executive Committee of the Maldives Bar Council at the President’s Office, President Solih assured the state will give its full support in performing the duties and reaffirmed that upholding the rule of law without fear or favour is one of the highest duties of his presidency and the council’s role in holding the state accountable to this principle is critical.

The Bar Council and its Executive Committee are the result of the recently ratified Legal Professions Bill, a long-anticipated piece of legislation that will go a long way towards holding members of the legal profession accountable, whilst ensuring that lawyers perform their duties to the highest possible standard. This will be accomplished through the Bar Council which will function as a self-regulatory institution that will oversee and make decisions pertinent to the legal community. The Executive Committee, which comprises of the Attorney General of Maldives and six elected members headed by a president, will play a crucial role in carrying forward the Council’s agenda.

The council is headed by its President, Maumoon Hameed, Vice President Abdullah Muizz, Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath and six elected members: former Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizz; former Parliamentarian Anara Naeem; former judge at the Civil Court Aisha Shujoon; Secretary-General of Maldivian Democratic Party Anas Abdul Sattar; and lawyers Mohamed Faisal and Mohamed Aseel Hassan.

During the meeting, the president congratulated the inaugural members of the new Bar Council and noted its existence is a veritable milestone for the country, whose work will help positively shape the legal community and judicial institutions, helping to win them the public’s trust and confidence. The members, including the council’s President Maumoon Hameed and Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath, thanked the president for his words and reciprocated the president’s sentiments. They expressed their optimism that a positive working relationship can be maintained during this administration.