Somalia Chief Justice opposes judicial service commission dissolution

MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 15, 2015 (Garowe Online)-Somalia Chief Justice Aideed Abdullahi Ilkahanaf fought off a decision to dissolve a nine-member Judicial Service Commission, calling the move ‘unconstitutional and faltering’, Garowe Online reports.

In an interview with VOA Somali Service on Sunday, Ilkahanaf said that the presidential decree doesn’t comply with Provisional Federal Constitution [PFC], and pointed accusing fingers at presidential aides who he said have consulted on the unconstitutional decision.

“President hastened to take this decision; he was consulted erroneously on it. The dissolution of [Judicial Service Commission] is not in the constitution,” noted Somalia Chief Justice, adding that if President dissolved the commission, he would replace members with new appointees.

Judicial Service Commission except for Chief Justice and Attorney General Ahmed Ali Dahir was disbanded in a decree dated March 11, 2015 and disclosed in public on Saturday.

Somalia’s nascent judicial apparatus has been a bone of contention for persistent political infighting that saw two Prime Ministers ousted in two years. 

GAROWE ONLINE