Justice Nariman said that the provision of Special Leave to Appeal under Article 136 of the Constitution has led to the Supreme Court being able to entertain nearly any case.
The Court said that power under Article 136 is an extraordinary jurisdiction that the top court exercises sparingly when it is necessary to interfere in order to prevent a grave or serious miscarriage of justice.
Despite protests by media rights organisations, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ratified amendments to the nation’s Evidence Act on 18 July, allowing courts to demand the disclosure of journalists’ sources. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), condemn the act s infringement on press freedom and urge the Maldivian parliament to consult with media organisations to amend the act.