In a significant development for the country’s judiciary, the People’s Majlis has confirmed the appointments of Mohamed Saleem and Abdulla Hameed as new justices to the Supreme Court. Their appointments come after President Dr Mohamed Muizzu formally nominated the pair earlier this month.
The nominations were submitted to Parliament on June 2, 2025, following consultation with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), as required by the Judiciary Act. The Parliament’s Judiciary Committee conducted a review process and subsequently deemed both candidates qualified for the nation’s highest court.
During Wednesday’s parliamentary session, lawmakers cast separate votes for each nominee. Former High Court Judge Abdulla Hameed was confirmed with 60 votes in favor, while current High Court Judge Mohamed Saleem received the backing of 61 members.
The appointments fill the vacancies left by the recent dismissals of former Supreme Court Justices Dr Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir. Their removal had temporarily left the bench short of its full complement.
With the new appointments, the Supreme Court now consists of the Chief Justice and six associate justices, in accordance with legal requirements governing the composition of the bench.
The Judiciary Act mandates that Supreme Court justices must be appointed by the President with input from the JSC and be confirmed by a majority vote of members present during the parliamentary session. Wednesday’s vote marks the successful completion of that process.
Both Saleem and Hameed bring extensive judicial experience to the role, and their confirmation is expected to restore stability and full function to the Supreme Court at a time of growing focus on judicial transparency and independence in the Maldives.
Parliamentary leaders hailed the appointments as an important step in ensuring a strong and credible judiciary, while observers await how the newly constituted bench will influence the direction of legal interpretation and reform in the years ahead.
