The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has requested the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to approve additional retirement allowances for outgoing Chief Justices.

The proposal follows the recent retirement request submitted by the incumbent Chief Justice, Ahmed Muthasim Adnan. Under current regulations, there are no special provisions for Chief Justices. Judges who voluntarily retire at the age of 55, having served for at least 10 years, are entitled to a retirement allowance. However, no distinct benefits are allocated for the Chief Justice upon retirement.

In response, the JSC has proposed amendments to introduce enhanced allowances for Chief Justices. Under the proposed changes, a retiring Chief Justice would be entitled to a travel allowance and a monthly living allowance of MVR 70,000. The amendments also recommend factoring in total state service, in addition to judicial service, when calculating the retirement allowance.

The JSC has referred the matter to the Finance Committee, recommending it seek input from the Ministry of Finance. In its recent session, the committee resolved to consult the Pay Commission and to amend the regulations based on its expert recommendations.

Presently, the lump sum retirement allowance for judges is calculated based on the period from their most recent judicial appointment to the date of retirement. The monthly allowance combines previous judicial service with the duration of the latest appointment.

Notably, Chief Justice Muthasim, who has also served as a member of the Human Rights Commission, would be entitled to a significantly higher retirement allowance under the proposed changes. It is anticipated that, following these adjustments, he would receive a retirement allowance amounting to approximately MVR 500,000.

To date, Chief Justice Muthasim has served nine years, six months, and eleven days in the judiciary, and a total of 24 years, four months, and eighteen days in state service.