DJA revokes suspension of 13 lawyers

The Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) has revoked the licenses of 13 lawyers, out of the 54 suspended on September 10.

A notice issued by the DJA on Monday said that the lawyers whose suspension have been lifted are; Ahmed Abdulla, Abdul Salaam Arif, Ali Nadheem, Maajidha Majdhee, Abdul Maniu Hussain, Abdulla Naseer Mohamed, Ahmed Shan, Mohamed Shahid, Mohamed Fawwaz, Anooza Moosa, Khadeeja Naeem, Zimna Abdul Muhsin and Ibrahim Shiyam.

According to the notice, these lawyers will be able to continue practicing law from September 18.

While the DJA noted that the licenses were revoked after investigating their cases, it did not reveal any details on the investigations.

54 lawyers, out of the 56 who had submitted a petition to the Supreme Court calling for reform, were suspended, “for contempt of Court”. The DJA had said that the lawyers were in violation of the Judcature Act, lawyers' pledge and Court regulations, by submitting the 'unlawful document’.

Suspended lawyers include, 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.

Mahfooz Saeed had said that “more lawyers had wanted to sign the petition but did not out of fear of losing their licenses”.

35 lawyers- including a former Chief Justice and Attorney General- have since appealed for the rights of the suspended lawyers.