Parliament’s Judiciary Committee has approved the nomination of former Supreme Court Justice and current President of the Tax Appeal Tribunal, Uz Abdul Ghanee Mohamed, for the position of Chief Justice.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu nominated Uz Abdul Ghanee for the role based on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The nomination was formally submitted to Parliament and read during Monday morning’s sitting, after which it was referred to the Judiciary Committee for review.

In a letter to Parliament, the President stated that the choice was made following the JSC’s evaluation process and that he endorsed Uz Abdul Ghanee’s appointment in line with constitutional procedure.

According to the JSC, three candidates applied for the vacant Chief Justice position: Uz Abdul Ghanee Mohamed; Uz Abdulla Mohamed, a judge at the Family Court; and Uz Shujau Usman, former Chief Judge of the High Court. All three were interviewed by the Commission on Saturday, after which Abdul Ghanee was selected as the recommended nominee.

The Chief Justice post became vacant following the retirement of Uz Ahmed Muthasim Adnan in July.

Uz Abdul Ghanee has over two decades of experience in the judiciary. He began his career at the Civil Court in 2000, later serving as Chief Judge of the High Court and as a Justice of the Supreme Court. In addition, he has previously served as president of the Judicial Service Commission and currently heads the Tax Appeal Tribunal.