Suspended Criminal Court judge Hailam resigns

The senior judge of Criminal Court Ahmed Hailam has resigned from the court. The judge informed the Judicial Service Commission of his resignation today.

Hailam’s resignation comes at a time when the JSC had presented his removal to the Parliament after the judge was found to have violated the ethical and disciplinary standards required for judges. The Judiciary Committee of the Parliament had after assessing the case, agreed with the JSC’s decision to remove the judge and forwarded it to the Parliament yesterday.

Dated yesterday and signed by the Judge Hailam, the letter of resignation he sent to the JSC condemned the move by the Commission to remove him from the post without taking into account any of the letters he sent to the Commission regarding the investigation into him. The judge also described the procedure and decision to remove him as a violation of the Constitution and the JSC laws.

Hailam pronounced the investigation as a politically motivated investigation, a fact he described as very evident. Hailam also accused the JSC of working under the influence of specific politicians rather than to rectify the judiciary of the country.

“…I am dejected as a Maldivian to reign from my post as a judge, at the fact that my suspension and dismissal was presented to the parliament was carried out in violation of the laws and policies of the country, and the fact that the JSC is working to gather the powers of the judiciary to the hands of certain politicians, instead of correcting it.” read the letter by Judge Hailam.

Judge Hailam initially presided over the money laundering case of former President Abdulla Yameen. He was suspended on the day of the sentencing hearing and replaced by a panel of five judges for the case.

Judge Hailam was suspended by the JSC, following a cartoon he posted in a recreational Viber group of the Criminal Court, depicting President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed chained along with the rebels of November 3, 1988.