President Muizzu Appoints Special Commission to Probe Legal Handling of Chagos Maritime Boundary Ruling

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has issued a decree establishing a high-level presidential commission to investigate the Maldivian state’s conduct during international maritime boundary proceedings that resulted in the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone between the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago.

The commission, established under presidential powers granted by the Constitution, fulfills a pledge made by President Muizzu during his Presidential Address earlier this year. 

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Formally titled the “Presidential Special Commission to Investigate the Actions of the Republic of Maldives in ITLOS Case No. 28,” the panel has been mandated to determine whether deliberate negligence or procedural failures by state officials compromised national territory.

According to the President’s Office, the decision follows comprehensive reviews by independent international legal experts hired to analyze the verdict issued by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). 

The experts’ findings concluded that the surrender of substantial maritime territory was largely attributable to strategic and legal decisions made by the previous administration’s legal team and state leadership, resulting in irreversible economic consequences for Maldivian fisheries and seabed resources.

The seven-member commission includes former senior public officials, academics, and legal specialists:

• Ahmed Shakir (President)
• Abdul Azeez Yoosuf
• Dr Aminath Shafiya Adam
• Dr Abdul Muhsin Mohamed
• Mohamed Sadiq 
• Ahmed Ali Manik
• Fathimath Minhat Izzath

Under the Presidential Decree, the commission holds broad investigatory authority to probe the conduct of former government ministers, state attorneys, external consultants, and institutional representatives involved at every phase of the dispute. Its mandate includes examining how the state’s formal submissions were drafted, determining the legal liability of officials involved, scrutinizing the custody and archival preservation of internal state documents, and recommending statutory prosecution or sanctions against responsible parties.

The decree stipulates that the commission will remain operational until its official findings and systemic reform recommendations are submitted and approved by the President.