Parliament has approved the appointment of High Court Senior Judge Hussain Shaheed to the Supreme Court, filling a key vacancy on the nation’s highest judicial body. The decision was finalized during a parliamentary session on Wednesday following his nomination by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
Ahead of the vote, the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee conducted a thorough review of Judge Shaheed’s nomination. The committee’s findings confirmed that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) had followed strict due diligence in its selection process before recommending him for the position.
The vacancy arose after Justice Husnu Al Suood resigned amid an ongoing corruption investigation. The JSC subsequently opened two rounds of applications to find a suitable replacement, receiving three applications.
Judge Shaheed was shortlisted alongside Mariyam Nihayath, a former Civil Court judge and Deputy Prosecutor General, and Rusdulla Ibrahim, a lawyer.
Judge Shaheed is a distinguished figure in the Maldivian judiciary, with extensive academic and professional experience. He completed his law and Islamic Shariah studies at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and Kulliyyath al-Dhiraasath al-Islamiyya in the Maldives, later earning 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 several key judicial positions, including:
- Magistrate at Feydhoo Magistrate Court, Addu City
- Senior Magistrate at Holhudhoo Magistrate Court, Noonu Atoll
- Judge at the Criminal Court
- High Court Judge (since 2018)
In November 2022, he was appointed as Acting Senior Judge of the High Court, a position that was formally confirmed on October 30, 2023.
With Judge Shaheed’s appointment, the Supreme Court now consists of seven justices, including Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan and Justices Aisha Shujune Muhammad, Ali Rasheed Hussain, Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, and the newly appointed Justice Hussain Shaheed.
However, Justices Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir remain suspended amid ongoing misconduct investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Judge Shaheed’s appointment is seen as a critical move in ensuring stability within the judiciary, as the Supreme Court navigates ongoing legal challenges and reforms.
