Funadhoo member of parliament, Mohamed Mamdooh has confirmed that efforts are underway to reduce the number of judges on the Supreme Court bench to five.

Speaking on MMTV’s "Bodu Khabaru" programme, MP Mamdooh explained that when the Constitution was first enacted, it was intended for the Supreme Court to have five judges, a decision based on extensive legal and political considerations.

MP Mamdooh outlined the history of the Supreme Court bench, noting that the first bench under Article 282A of the Green Constitution, established on September 18, 2008, consisted of five judges. However, the number was increased to seven in 2010 with the enactment of the Judges Act. In 2014, following the first amendment to the Act, the bench size was reduced to five, but in 2019, a third amendment saw the bench return to seven judges.

MP Mamdooh dismissed claims that these changes were an attempt to interfere with the judiciary, stating that under President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s Administration, the judiciary has remained independent and unaltered. He rejected the opposition’s accusations that the current Government was attempting to influence the judiciary, asserting that both the judiciary and parliament have operated without interference.

He concluded by emphasising that the efforts to reduce the bench size were not politically motivated but rather aimed at ensuring the efficient functioning of the Supreme Court.