President Abdulla Yameen has on Sunday ratified the second amendment to the Judicature Act of Maldives.

Following ratification, the total number of judges in the High Court bench changes from nine to 11, including the Chief Judge, and it has been published in the government gazette.

The amendment was passed by parliament at the sixth sitting of its second session on June 14, with 43 lawmakers voting in favor and 29 against.

While the Act states that the High Court bench must comprise of nine judges including the Chief Judge, the court's bench currently has seven judges.

Despite the change, those currently in the HC bench will remain, and additional judges are to be appointed within three months after ratification.

MP for Inguraidhoo consitituency Ibrahim Falah proposed the amendment on behalf of the ruling coalition, saying that the reason for the amendment was "the increasing number of cases being filed at court, and to conclude the cases at a faster pace".