The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has opted to approve the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Ali Rasheed Hussain, stating that his retirement will commence on December 1, 2026.

On Wednesday, the JSC announced that Justice Ali Rasheed had filed a request for retirement next month, which the Commission approved following an examination of the criteria stipulated in the Judges’ Retirement Regulations.

Following the confirmed retirement, the Commission has initiated the processes described in Article 17 of the Judges Act to find a candidate to occupy the vacant position on the Supreme Court bench. Justice Ali Rasheed has worked in various courts throughout his judicial career, serving as a judge at the Criminal Court, Chief Justice of the Civil Court, and as a judge at the Drug Court prior to his Supreme Court appointment six years ago.

He led the 2019 Criminal Court panel that sentenced former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom to incarceration. While serving on the Supreme Court, he faced inquiries regarding accusations of misconduct, but none of the cases led to a conviction. His exit signifies the retirement of a veteran judicial figure whose career encompasses several important positions in the Maldivian judiciary.