Bar Council of the Maldives to Comment on ITLOS Judgement on Mauritius – Maldives Boundary Dispute.

Bar Council of the Maldives Executive Committee has decided to review and comment on the ITLOS Judgment on Dispute concerning delimitation of the maritime boundary between Mauritius and Maldives in the Indian Ocean

In the press release, BCM stated that the issue has been forwarded to the BCM Law Reform and Research Committee. Under the Legal Profession Act 5/2019 BCM has the responsibility to disclose opinion and information in relation to legal or constitutional issues related to matters of public interest.

The mandate of the Law Reform and Research Committee includes,

• Conduct research on matters pertaining to legal service and share research reports with the Executive Committee;
• Study and evaluate constitutional and legal issues related to matters of public interest, as well as existing laws and regulations in the Maldives and provide advice to the Executive Committee on disseminating the opinions of the Bar Council, as well as relevant information, concerning such matters;
• Prepare and share recommendations with the Executive Committee regarding the Bar Council’s cooperation in cases where state bodies seek advice on formulating and amending laws and regulations;
• Advise the Executive Committee on intervening in cases heard by courts of law or tribunals when they involve significant constitutional and legal questions impacting the public interest or a large portion of the community; and
• Fulfill any other responsibilities assigned to the Law Reform and Research Committee by the Executive Committee.

The members appointed to the Law Reform and Research Committee are

• Uza. Aminath Aryj Hussain
• Uz. Fathuhulla Ismail
• Uza. Aishath Sheena Mohamed
• Uza. Aishath Mohamed

While the committee consists of five members, there are currently only four members.