40:
343:. After five months, in 2016 her transfer was announced as permanent. Zahir appealed this decision to the parliamentary oversight committee, stating that she was the only judge with childcare responsibilities, and that working in Addu City would prevent her from caring for her two children. The committee ultimately rejected Zahir's complaint, stating it had no jurisdiction over judicial transfers. Zahir subsequently wrote letters to the Judicial Services Commission and the then-
258:
in 1999. In 2011, she was appointed to the High Court of the
Maldives, and at the time of her resignation in 2016 was described as the country's most senior female judge. Zahir also served as the Maldives' first female Chief Justice when she temporarily filled the vacancy caused by the retirement of
443:
In
November 2019, Zahir was announced as the interim Chief Justice of the Supreme Court following the retirement of Abdulla Areef on health grounds. Areef himself had been temporarily filling the position following the suspension and subsequent dismissal of Ahmed Abdullah Didi. Despite having only
420:
The People's Majlis subsequently approved Zahir and
Shujune's appointments to the Supreme Court, with 62 out of 64 MPs present voting in favour, with one MP voting against and another abstaining. Zahir became a Justice of the Supreme Court on 4 September 2019 after being presented with a letter of
354:
Zahir subsequently announced her resignation from the High Court in protest at her transfer; at the time, she was the
Maldives' most senior female judge, and the only sitting female judge following the resignations of Aisha Shujune and Mariyam Nihayath in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The
382:, announced in August 2019 his intention to nominate Zahir, alongside Aisha Shujune, as the Supreme Court's two new justices. Following interviews with the Judicial Service Commission, Zahir and Shujune were accepted as suitable candidates, with a vote planned for the
303:
Zahir obtained her licence to practice in the
Maldives in 1999, and in 2001 worked in the legal department of Malé City Council. Between 2002 and 2007, she worked for the Maldives Law Commission, drafting bills due to be submitted to the
444:
sat on the
Supreme Court for two months, Zahir was the most senior justice after Areef following the dismissals of Didi and Adam Mohamed, and the subsequent suspension of Abdul Ghanee Mohamed. Zahir remained in the post until
351:, stating that the transfer had been unannounced and was discriminatory against her rights as a mother; she reported that Yameen told her that the transfer was "not a matter he could address".
933:
401:, released a statement supporting Zahir and Shujune's nominations, citing several prominent Islamic scholars who concluded that appointing female judges was permissible, including
908:
359:
criticised Zahir's transfer, describing it as "arbitrary" and comparing it to a demotion due to the southern branch not being authorised to hear complaints over
913:
428:
Zahir and
Shujune became the first female justices to sit on the Supreme Court of the Maldives since it was established in 2008. The Minister for Gender,
923:
515:
567:
541:
378:
In 2019, the
Judicature Act was amended to increase the size of the Supreme Court from five justices to seven. The President of the Maldives,
903:
683:
918:
657:
356:
332:
On 26 March 2011, Zahir was appointed to serve on the High Court of the
Maldives, becoming the first woman in the country to sit on an
435:
Zahir's first allocation as a
Supreme Court Justice was a case filed by a private citizen against the state over an employment issue.
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In 2015, Zahir was temporarily transferred to the High Court's newly established southern branch, sitting in
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Zahir and Shujune's nominations were met with opposition by some clerics who stated that
246:; born 19 July 1979) is a Maldivian lawyer and jurist who has served as a Justice of the
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348:
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457:
432:, released a statement calling Zahir and Shujune's appointments a "historic day".
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appointment by Solih and giving an oath administered by the Chief Justice,
831:"Top court judge Areef retires, Dr. Azmiralda appointed as interim chief"
807:
406:
255:
172:
568:"Parliamentary committee rejects judge's complaint over abrupt transfer"
516:"Female judges nominated to Supreme Court over opposition from clerics"
268:
168:
316:
803:"Judge Azmiralda to administer Supreme Court as Judge Areef retires"
741:"Parliament approves to appoint Azmiralda, Sujun to Supreme Court"
390:
448:
was appointed as the permanent Chief Justice on 8 December 2019.
393:
forbade women from serving as judges. Former Maldivian president
630:
197:
188:
631:"President Solih nominates two female judges for Supreme Court"
802:
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542:"High Court judge complains over transfer to southern branch"
684:"Parliament approves increasing size of Supreme Court bench"
658:"Maldives urged to 'end arbitrary actions targeting judges'"
830:
740:
315:, subsequently going on to serve as dean of the Faculty of
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Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Maldives (2019)
773:"Newly appointed justices begin work at Supreme Court"
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in International Intellectual Property Law from the
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84:
53:
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250:since 4 September 2019. After studying law in the
713:"President appoints two new Supreme Court Judges"
934:Academic staff of Maldives National University
311:In 2009, Zahir began lecturing in law at the
8:
374:Supreme Court of the Maldives (2019–present)
366:Following her resignation, Zahir went into
599:"Maldives' most senior female judge quits"
38:
20:
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909:Alumni of the University of Portsmouth
328:High Court of the Maldives (2011–2016)
797:
795:
766:
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7:
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629:Mohamed, Shahudha (23 August 2019).
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254:, Zahir began practicing law in the
111:26 March 2011 – 12 May 2016
357:International Commission of Jurists
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914:Alumni of the University of Exeter
14:
924:Constitutional court women judges
771:Ali, Humaam (16 September 2019).
259:Abdulla Areef in November 2019.
323:Judicial career (2011–present)
1:
862:Supreme Court of the Maldives
489:Supreme Court of the Maldives
267:Zahir was born and raised in
248:Supreme Court of the Maldives
56:Supreme Court of the Maldives
904:Alumni of Cardiff University
313:Maldives National University
919:Constitutional court judges
397:, a scholar who studied at
16:Maldivian judge (born 1979)
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857:"UZ. AHMED MUTHASIM ADNAN"
99:High Court of the Maldives
345:President of the Maldives
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143:
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299:Legal career (1999–2011)
285:University of Portsmouth
263:Early life and education
194:University of Portsmouth
31:
718:The President's Office
484:"DR. AZMIRALDA ZAHIR"
380:Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
287:, before receiving a
124:Mohamed Waheed Hassan
91:Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
929:Women chief justices
688:Maldives Independent
662:Maldives Independent
603:Maldives Independent
572:Maldives Independent
546:Maldives Independent
520:Maldives Independent
446:Ahmed Muthasim Adnan
395:Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
293:University of Exeter
203:University of Exeter
399:Al-Azhar University
271:. She obtained her
244:އަޒްމިރާލްދާ ޒާހިރު
32:އަޒްމިރާލްދާ ޒާހިރު
837:. 21 November 2019
811:. 21 November 2019
747:. 3 September 2019
721:. 4 September 2019
423:Ahmed Abdulla Didi
277:Cardiff University
185:Cardiff University
894:Maldivian lawyers
430:Shidhatha Shareef
415:Yusuf al-Qaradawi
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522:. 24 August 2019
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368:private practice
273:bachelor of laws
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80:4 September 2019
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664:. 21 March 2016
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574:. 22 March 2016
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384:People's Majlis
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334:appellate court
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306:People's Majlis
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281:master's degree
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236:Azmiralda Zahir
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120:Mohamed Nasheed
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54:Justice of the
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25:Azmiralda Zahir
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690:. 17 July 2019
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605:. 12 May 2016
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97:Judge of the
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44:Zahir in 2023
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866:. Retrieved
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841:15 September
839:. Retrieved
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815:15 September
813:. Retrieved
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784:15 September
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668:15 September
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493:. Retrieved
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308:for review.
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219:supremecourt
163:19 July 1979
139:Shujau Usman
135:Succeeded by
106:
86:Nominated by
74:
63:
18:
889:1979 births
868:13 November
725:13 November
636:The Edition
526:13 November
495:13 November
883:Categories
464:References
180:Alma mater
159:1979-07-19
778:Raajje TV
403:Al-Tabari
363:matters.
341:Addu City
319:and Law.
283:from the
116:President
107:In office
65:Incumbent
808:PSM News
452:See also
407:Ibn Hazm
279:and her
256:Maldives
173:Maldives
240:Dhivehi
214:Website
317:Sharia
391:Islam
275:from
78:
870:2023
843:2024
835:Avas
817:2024
786:2024
753:2024
745:Avas
727:2013
696:2024
670:2024
644:2024
611:2024
580:2024
554:2024
528:2023
497:2023
413:and
269:Malé
221:.gov
198:LL.M
189:LL.B
169:Malé
153:Born
289:PhD
223:.mv
207:PhD
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