Mahaz, dismissed from Supreme Court, now in President’s list for Tax Appeal Tribunal

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has nominated former Supreme Court Justice Mahaz Ali Zahir for one of two vacant seats on the Tax Appeal Tribunal.

The nomination was sent to Parliament, which is set to reconvene Thursday after a long recess. The agenda includes referring the President’s seven nominees to the relevant committee for review.

Mahaz was removed from the Supreme Court on May 14 last year, following a vote by the government-majority Parliament. His dismissal, along with that of Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, came after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) suspended both judges alongside Justice Husnu Al Suood on February 26, last year amid controversy surrounding a constitutional case.

The case in question involved a petition to annul an amendment that would strip MPs of their seats if they left or changed the party through which they were elected. Justice Suood resigned shortly after the suspension, while Mahaz and Azmiralda were later dismissed by Parliament.

Critics, including Suood and Azmiralda, accused the government of judicial intimidation and interference aimed at blocking the constitutional challenge. The Judiciary Committee proceeded with the dismissals despite objections from legal experts and rights groups, and without granting the judges a chance to respond.

The President’s prioritization among the seven nominees remains unclear.

The Tax Appeal Tribunal has had two vacant seats for an extended period, with the President’s Office announcing the vacancies three times.

The Tribunal’s last president, Abdul Ghani Mohamed, now serves as Chief Justice.