The Supreme Court of the Maldives () is the highest court of the Maldives.

History The Supreme Court was established on 18 September 2008 under Article 282 of the Constitution of the Maldives. The first amendment to the Judicature Act made the Supreme Court bench down to 5 judges, while the third amendment reversed the first amendment and made it back to 7 judges. In 2025, the government submitted a bill in parliament to alter the bench back to 5 judges, which was met with condemnation from opposition parties. The president later sent the bill back to parliament.

Notable rulings

Four members of the country's Election Commission were set to spend six months in jail for 'disobeying orders'. Amid the state of emergency declared by President Abdulla Yameen, the Supreme Court's operations have been suspended, leaving the judiciary without anyone in charge. A court official subsequently verified that state security forces had forcibly entered the building, effectively confining the judges inside and preventing them from leaving. Additionally, during this tense situation, the Chief Justice of Maldives was arrested.

Justices The Supreme Court has 7 justices: +NameAppointment dateLength of TenureAppointer1Abdul Ghanee Mohamed6 August 2025Mohamed Muizzu2Aisha Shujune Muhammad4 September 2019Ibrahim Mohamed Solih3Ali Rasheed Hussain8 September 2020Ibrahim Mohamed Solih4Mohamed Ibrahim8 September 2020Ibrahim Mohamed Solih5Hussain Shaheedh19 March 2025Mohamed Muizzu6Abdulla Hameed11 June 2025Mohamed Muizzu7Mohamed Saleem11 June 2025Mohamed Muizzu

See also

Judiciary of the Maldives

References

External links

Supreme Court of the Maldives in the news

United Nations News Centre - Maldives: UN 'deeply concerned' as Supreme Court prosecutes rights advocates Global Legal Monitor: Maldives: Supreme Court Decision on Freedom of Assembly and Expression | Global Legal Monitor | Law Library of Congress| Library of Congress

Other

The Maldivian Legal System - Husnu Al Suood - Google Books Supreme Court of the Maldives website