President nominates Uz Ahmed Faiz Hussain as chief justice

President Mohamed Nasheed has nominated Supreme Court Judge Uz Ahmed Faiz Hussain as Chief Justice, for approval by parliament.

The President made the nomination in accordance with Article 147 and Article 297 (a) of the Constitution, the President’s Office said.

Article 147 states that there shall be a Chief Justice of the Maldives and the President shall appoint the Chief Justice after consulting with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and confirmation of the appointee by the People’s Majlis. Earlier, the President consulted with the JSC on the matter of nominating a Chief Justice.

Article 297 (a) states that within two years of the commencement of the Constitution, appointments to post shall be finalized in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Uz Ahmed Faiz Hussain has also served as a Judge at the Civil Court and the High Court.

The President urged Speaker Abdulla Shahid to expedite the process of confirming the President’s nomination as the Chief Justice of the Maldives.