Riza quits JSC; Parliament to elect replacement Monday

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has scheduled the election of a new member for Monday following the resignation of Maafushi MP Hussain Riza Adam from the commission.

Riza, who was appointed to the JSC as Parliament’s representative and elected chairman in June 2024, resigned on Sunday. He did not publicly disclose the reason for his departure. His resignation vacates both his seat on the commission and the chairmanship.

The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) has yet to nominate a replacement for Riza, although the matter has been placed on Parliament’s agenda.

Riza’s resignation comes amid a series of high-profile exits from the JSC. High Court Judge Mohamed Niyaz, who served as Vice President, resigned last week. He was replaced on Thursday by Yazmeed Mohamed, the presidential appointee to the commission, who now serves as acting chair.

Riza’s tenure, spanning one year and four months, was marked by controversy, particularly surrounding the JSC’s disciplinary proceedings against three Supreme Court justices earlier this year. The commission suspended the judges while they were hearing a politically sensitive case involving anti-defection clauses proposed by the PNC.

• Justice Husnu Al-Sood resigned in protest.

• Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir were later dismissed by Parliament in May this year following misconduct proceedings initiated by the JSC.

The commission also faced criticism in July for recommending Mohamed Shaheed, a senior PNC activist, for appointment to the High Court over more qualified candidates. Shaheed later withdrew his candidacy amid backlash.

Riza is the younger brother of Ibrahim Riza, a former MP for Guraidhoo who passed away in 2022 and previously served on the JSC.