The Fifth Amendment Bill to the Judicature Act, which President Dr Mohamed Muizzu returned to Parliament for reconsideration, has been sent to a parliamentary committee for further review. 

On February 26, Parliament amended the Judicature Act to allow the removal of judges deemed unqualified by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), requiring a two-thirds majority vote from members present at the session. 

Last week, the President returned the bill, requesting reconsideration of a provision that would reduce the number of Supreme Court justices from seven to five. The bill was introduced by MP Abdul Sattar Mohamed. 

During today's session, MPs voted to refer the bill to the Judiciary Committee for further review. Fifty members voted in favour, while seven opposed. 

The President’s letter to Parliament was also read on the floor, outlining concerns about the proposed amendment. Among them was the concern that allowing the JSC to remove judges could conflict with the constitutional principle that judges cannot be removed as long as they adhere to ethical and legal standards. 

Additionally, the letter noted that with one Supreme Court justice having resigned and two others suspended pending a criminal investigation, assessing the remaining justices' qualifications would be unfair. 

Furthermore, the President argued that it would be unreasonable to grant special benefits and privileges under the Judges Act to justices removed from office after being deemed unqualified.