The international community has criticized the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA)'s decision to suspend over 50 lawyers after filing a petition calling to reform the judiciary.
54 lawyers- out of the 56 who had signed the petition; the other two were already under suspension- were suspended on Sunday night "for contempt of Court". The DJA said that the lawyers were in violation of the Judcature Act, lawyers' pledge and Court regulations, by submitting the 'unlawful' document.
In a tweet posted on Monday afternoon, British Ambassador to the Maldives, James Dauris said that suspending over 50 lawyers "for calling for the Constitution to be upheld is another sorry step" by the Maldivian authorities.
"Debate is healthy in every society," he added.
Suspension of >50 lawyers in #Maldives for calling for Constitution to be upheld is another sorry step. Debate is healthy in every society. pic.twitter.com/FqEAIGmOL8
— James Dauris (@JamesDauris) September 11, 2017
The Embassy of Canada to the Maldives said that the mass suspension "reinforces rather that allays concerns independence of the judiciary, an essential for any democracy".
Suspension of 54 lawyers in #Maldives reinforces rather than allays concerns re:independence of the judiciary-an essential for any democracy
— Canada in Sri Lanka (@CanHCSriLanka) September 12, 2017
Australia's Ambassador to the Maldives, Bryce Hutchesson said that the suspension of lawyers "calling on government and judiciary to uphold rule of law is another step back for democracy and rights".
More than 50 lawyers suspended in #Maldives for calling on govt +judiciary to uphold rule of law-another step back for #democracy & rights
— Bryce Hutchesson (@AusHCSriLanka) September 11, 2017
Furthermore, the Delegation of the European Union to the Maldives also voiced its concern over the matter, noting that this "is not the right way to address issue of obstructing independence of the justice system".
Suspending 54 lawyers isn't the right way to address issue of 'obstructing independence of the justice system'. #EU4HumanRights #Maldives
— EU to the Maldives (@EU_Maldives) September 11, 2017
Prominent lawyers- such as Hisaan Hussain, Mahfooz Saeed, Moosa Siraj, Anas Abdul Sattar, Ibrahim Riffath, Nazim Sattar, Hassan Latheef, Ali Zahir, Imthiyaz Fahmy and former attorney general Husnu Suood- lost their license to practice over the petition.
Speaking to the media after Supreme Court's decision to reject the petition, Saeed had noted that more lawyers wanted to sign the petition "but could not because of fear of getting their licenses suspended".
The opposition has condemned the DJA's decision, with former President Mohamed Nasheed calling on the international community to impose targeted sanction against Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, while former President Maumoon Abdula Gayoom noted that the large-scale suspension "clearly shows how desperate the authorities have become".
SC suspends 54 lawyers for raising concerns on lack of rule of law. Intl community must impose targeted sanctions against the Chief Justice.
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) September 10, 2017
Large scale suspension of lawyers clearly shows how desperate the authorities have become!
— Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) September 11, 2017
The suspended lawyers have vowed to continue reform battle for the nation’s judiciary, stating that their suspension was just intimidation.
