President Mohamed Nasheed’s member on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Aishath Velezinee, proposed a motion without notice at today’s JSC meeting “to determine if Supreme Court Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla, current Chairman of the commission, meets the criteria of possessing a sound mind as required by article 139(c) clause three of the constitution.”
The meeting was cancelled when quorum was lost after Velezinee walked out in protest of the Chair’s alleged refusal to acknowledge the motion.
Velezinee’s motion states that Justice Adam Mohamed was exhibiting “symptoms of a person who has lost his mind” and proposed suspending him from the duties of a judge “until a psychiatric evaluation is conducted under state supervision.”
Attached to the motion was a document titled ‘The Serial Bully‘, drawn from the UK-based workplace bullying website detailing the symptoms of “sociopaths and psychopaths”.
Qualities on the list included “self-opinionated, emotionally retarded, deceptive, superior sense of entitlement and untouchability, financially untrustworthy, overbearing belief in their qualities of leadership, is spiritually dead although may loudly profess some religious belief or affiliation” and “may pursue a vindictive vendetta against anyone who dares to held them accountable.”
Velezinee claimed that the Chair was “systematically evading” the matter of appointing an interview panel to approve judges to the High Court bench, almost two months after the deadline for applications elapsed.
Moreover, as the JSC was yet to adopt a standard operating procedure – the deadline for which passed on January 26 – commission meetings were “under the will and whim of the Chair who refuses to permit the Secretary General to perform independently and exercise absolute control over the working of the Commission.
“As it is JSC can only discuss and decide what the Chair permits, and that, it has become increasingly evident, is nothing,” she said.
While the High Court bench currently has four judges, a three-judge bench is needed to conduct hearings.
Sincerity
Following the cancelled meeting, Ahmed Rasheed, representative of the law community on the JSC, expressed concern with the slow pace of the commission’s functioning.
Rasheed said that the growing backlog of pending tasks “raises questions about the sincerity of some members.”
On November 9, Rasheed joined Velezinee, General Public Member Shuaib Abdul Rahman and Attorney General Dr Ahmed Sawad to lodge letters of protest with the JSC after the Chair did not attend a meeting he had called.
Other members of the commission, Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid, MP Afrashim Ali, Civil Service Commission President Mohamed Fahmy Hassan and Judge Abdulla Didi, did not attend the meeting as well.
Velezinee also walked out of the meeting last Sunday, the first one after the 10-day public holiday, claiming the Chair refused to let her speak on the High Court appointments as it was not on the agenda.
Responding to the criticism of his handling of JSC meetings, Justice Adam Mohamed told Minivan News today that he did not refuse to table Velezinee’s motion.
“I saw the motion when I came to the meeting,” he said. “But when I started the meeting and tried to read out the agenda, she interrupted me, got angry and walked off.”
Justice Adam Mohamed also dismissed accusations that he was holding up JSC tasks, explaining that he has called for a number of meetings in past weeks in excess of the legal requirement of one meeting per month.
On the delay to the standard operating procedure and High Court appointments, the Supreme Court Justice said that the deadlines had elapsed when he assumed the chair in late August.
“If they are so concerned about it, they could have passed it since they have been on the commission for all that time,” he said.
Following the end of the interim period in early August, a new Supreme Court bench was hastily instituted by parliament, resulting in a hiatus for the commission until new members along with a new Chair could be appointed.
Justice Adam Mohamed revealed that the current agenda for JSC meetings was “two-pages long”, stressing that while he has authority to order items, “members have the discretion to prioritize an item if everyone wished.”
Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Dr Afrashim Ali meanwhile arrived at today’s meeting 20 minutes after it began and left shortly afterward.
Asked for a comment on the issues, Dr Afrashim explained that he only grants interview “if it is going to be shown live on TV”.
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I have only one real comment to make:
BWahahahhahaa!
(And that was before I even reached that bit about that clown Afrasheem.)
If only these guys would lose a bit of their income for every minute of our time they waste.
Does afrashim think he is a hostage to be shown on tv that he is alive? And he might be killed in an interview with any media other than tv. Does he not have a mirror at home.
one word for Velizine: OUTSTANDING
Unfortunately they are all eating up our money !!!
Velzinee: keep up the good work
Anger is not a governing principle, Velezinee needs to learn to respect others.
This is getting really interesting. Velzinee is clearly an insane person. The country is now run by people like Reeko and Velizinee. Shame on us.
To appreciate what Velizinee has said, please read the link in the article.
www.bullyonline.org/workbully/serial.htm
This is a must read for bulleys obsessed with power, control, domination and subjugation - and they may not necessarily be Males. Women bully as well and sometimes are worse.
I would like a check on Justice Adam Mohamed's background as a judge. I heard he used to be a primary school teacher who was picked up by Gayoom and place in the lower courts only to be transferred to the top position.
Does anyone know where he studied and what he studied?
While the judiciary is being dominated by people like Adam Mohamed, the local TV and radio stations runs after hooligans who sits in the Parliament like Ali Waheed, Mahuloofu and Nihaanu and make headlines out of what they say.
I noticed that this important issue has not been reported in any media except minivannews.
Vel seems to be struggling for a cause she believes in passionately. But no one else not even President Nasheed who appointed her seems to care enough to help her. She does not seem to be coping. Then again my judgement is solely based on what I read in these news reports.
Hope minivan follows up on this story. Velezinee, i admire your courage. Dr. Afrashim, you are obliged to provide answers to questions raised by media if you are holding a position in public office.
adam mohamed red sharia from one of Arabic country, i think its Egypt,
and he never been a judge in the lower court neither to be a lawyer, he tried to be a lawyer at the Ag office while DR.munavar is there, and DR.munawar refuse to give him a job, and than maumoon apoint him a judge in the higher court, and know hes in the supureme court,
Velizinee herself is cracked head.
Oh Afrasheem is too big a star now to give interviews to press, unless its shown live on TV?
He should keep his ego in check or atleast resign from any position of power, where he will be posed questions by press and public.
Hats off to Velezinee.
Vel, you are an inspiration to all Maldivian women. And you are absolutely right. We need to check these people to see if they are sane indeed. Adam Mohd sounds as if he is a total imbecile!
Velizinee is a disgrace to maldivian women.
Velizinee is a very brave and extra ordinary woman. I think she's probably the most newsworthy and entertaining figure in politics right now.
Also, perhaps Afrasheem is refusing to give interviews except live ones for fear that his words mights be twisted when a written news report gets out. Maldivian journalists have some times used quotes from famous people out of context and created a whole new story with it.
Afraasheem is wise not to give an interview if its not live. Once someone gives an interview all the newspapers will carry the story with their spins and twists. Of course some will include the quote, but the whole article will try to shift public opinion as they want. Only to satisfy their affiliated political leaders and the financiers behind it. Public will be confused as to who is telling the truth.
Regarding Velezinee, tomorrow she might come out on the streets dressed like superman. I mean the underwear thing. That would be great news.
To the idiots who criticize Velzinee:
All you are doing is personally attacking her. Not one of you nut jobs has addressed the issue that has led to this. It only shows that you people are blind and deaf to the needs of the people.
I personally do not know Velzinee, but her passion for transparency, openness and justice can only be admired.
@ said
Comparing Velezinee with Reeko Moosa is like comparing apples and pears.
In the eagerness to attack her personally, people tend to forget that she is a highly educated woman with a degree in political science, a Masters related to gender and Shari’a law, and vast amounts of national and international experience in policy and research. She is also one of the few properly trained journalists in the country, and was the editor of one of the magazines that passionately fought to end the dictatorship in this country.
How she compares with some politician or another; her height, her weight, her complexion, the colour of her hair, her age, her gestures and mannerisms – or her teeth, for that matter – is utterly irrelevant. She is fighting for our democracy, not running as a politician, competing in a beauty contest, or running etiquette classes for ‘ladies’.
Those who find Velezinee’s behaviour ‘shameless’ are those who cannot see that which is truly without shame – the activities of a group of men in the JSC who have done their utmost to prevent us from having an honest judiciary so that past crimes of corruption and atrocities against the people remain hidden and unexamined.
If Velezinee were not doing what she is doing, the JSC would have long since been brought under the control of this same group of men. Instead of hiding behind our pseudonyms and launching personal attacks on Velezinee, we should be applauding her and joining her.
You go, Velezinee. Expose those traitors for who they are. The least we can assure you is that we will not let them take you quietly.
http://jsc.gov.mv/563
Velezinee
We need you to identify the things going wrong. I am happy for Anni to use you for now.
Once that is done, you can go banish yourself. I dont want you to represent any aspect of Maldivian government.
I can see all these gentlemen are covering/hiding their 'aura' from the public. Good work!
Now let's see the lady.
I think she only hides her gray hair?
i keep wishing, in vain, for a day when people will stop being so superficial, criticizing Velzinee for her looks and behaviour.
Since all that people against her do is make personal attacks on her, it's evident that it's hard for anyone to find fault about the work she is doing.
Wake up and take a good look. What she's doing is not in her personal interest whatsoever. It's for all of us Maldivians. We do need an honest judiciary. That's what she's fighting for.
In fact, there's no reason why she should be fighting alone. Read her site and you'll know 'why'.
http://www.velezinee.aishath.com/content/why
Maria, do you know why people attack her like that?.
Because they have everything to lose if a fair and honest judiciary is put to force.
@khaled,
very well said and Val deserves better!
A strong woman with a strong will!
Val, you are doing fine and keep it up no matter what they say!
Expose all two timing jurists!
A note to Velezinee:
I know your intentions are all well and good, but you're attacking this problem from the wrong angle.
There is a difference between a truly insane person, and someone who knows exactly what they're doing. The enemies in the JSC fall to the latter group - they are quite aware of what they are doing.
Even when they know that they are compromising the judiciary and denying justice to the citizens, they keep on doing it.
That is not insanity. That is purposeful malice.