Parliament has passed the Attorney General’s Office Bill, submitted by the Government to separate the Attorney General’s Office from the Civil Service Commission and establish it as an independent service.

The bill, proposed on behalf of the Government by South Maafannu MP Abdulla Rifau (Bochey), was passed with 64 votes, following review by the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee.

The bill was initially scheduled for a vote during Thursday’s session but was returned to committee by a floor decision, as members called for further improvements. After the revisions were completed, the committee resubmitted the bill to the floor, where it was passed in yesterday’s sitting.

The purpose of the bill is to address longstanding concerns about difficulties in recruiting professional staff and implementing salary increments for the Attorney General’s Office under the Civil Service framework. With the passage of this bill, the Attorney General’s Office will now function independently, outside of the Civil Service structure—marking a key milestone in the Government’s legislative agenda.

Under the new law, staff within the Attorney General’s Office will be classified into two categories: Legal Service and Administrative Service.

Legal Service staff include professionals appointed to carry out legal responsibilities and duties, while Administrative Service staff comprise individuals in administrative roles within the Legal Department, as well as those in general management and support functions of the office.