Parliament Removes Judge Faiz Rashad Over Misconduct in Drug Case

The Maldives Parliament has voted to remove Criminal Court Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad from office following judicial misconduct findings. The decision passed with 56 members in favor and eight opposed after the Judiciary Committee confirmed proper procedures were followed. The removal stems from Judge Faiz's handling of detention hearings for Ali Anwar, a suspect in major drug trafficking operations. Despite Anwar's alleged involvement in significant narcotics trafficking, the judge ordered his unconditional release after a five-day remand period expired. Investigators found this decision violated constitutional statutes. This dismissal marks the latest in a series of disciplinary actions against Judge Faiz. Last October, he received a sixty-day suspension for his handling of Haleemath Lamha's detention in a murder trial. Previously in 2021, he faced a two-month suspension related to a leaked audio incident. Under the Judges Act, Parliament holds authority to remove judges when the Judicial Service Commission finds them incompetent or guilty of misconduct. The motion requires a two-thirds majority in the legislature to pass, a threshold comfortably exceeded in this case with 56 votes supporting removal.