President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has requested further consideration of the Supreme Court Judges Dismissal Bill, sending it back to Parliament for review.

The bill proposes reducing the number of Supreme Court judges from seven to five.

The bill was initially passed with the support of 68 out of 77 members present, while nine voted against it.

The amendment was pushed through swiftly, with the law being passed within 24 hours of its introduction using the government’s supermajority in Parliament.

Despite its passage, the bill was returned without approval likely due to the widespread public concern over the proposed changes.

In a related development, three Supreme Court judges have been recently suspended.

Justice Husnu Al Suood resigned following allegations leading to his suspension, while cases involving Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Judge Mahaz Ali Zahir are currently under investigation by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is also conducting investigations into the two judges.