Parliament passes bill on judges

Parliament has passed the amended bill on judges with 71 out of 73 present in favour.

Speaker Abdulla Shahid has suspended the session until 2:30pm while the bill is sent to President Mohamed Nasheed for ratification.

Under the bill, the Supreme Court will consist of seven judges, including the Chief Justice, compared to the five judges on the interim bench.

Following ratification, the President will present nominations to the parliament from a list of candidates presented by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

Furthermore, reappointed judges will have seven years to fulfill requirements sent by the JSC, or will face dismissal.

More to follow.