Bar Council Holds 2026 AGM, Sets Out Reform and Professional Standards Agenda
From The Bar Council of the Maldives’ 2026 Annual General Meeting. | Photo: BCM
The Bar Council of the Maldives held its 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday, in accordance with the Legal Profession Act (Law No. 5/2019), which requires the Council to convene an annual assembly within 60 days of the end of each calendar year.
The AGM serves as the principal forum for the Council to present its Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements to members. During this year’s meeting, the Council reviewed its activities for 2025 and outlined projected income, expenditure and strategic priorities for 2026.
In its review of 2025, the Council highlighted progress in strengthening the regulatory framework governing the legal profession and improving the standard of legal services in the Maldives. It said it focused on reinforcing oversight mechanisms and promoting higher professional standards across the sector.
The Council reported that the total number of registered legal practitioners now stands at 1,913, comprising 51 per cent men and 49 per cent women. In 2025 alone, 81 new practitioners joined the profession — 50 women and 31 men.
A total of 136 candidates sat the Bar Exam during the year, including 81 women (60 per cent) and 55 men (40 per cent). The Council issued 16 new licences to practitioners, while 83 practitioners — 49 women and 34 men — completed mandatory training and orientation programmes as part of licensing and professional requirements.
The Council identified several priority areas for 2026 aimed at ensuring a robust and credible legal system. These include maintaining high standards of professional conduct and integrity among practitioners, enhancing capacity-building initiatives to improve lawyers’ skills and technical proficiency, and establishing clear benchmarks for the quality of legal education in the country.
The Council also stressed the importance of increasing active member participation in its activities and initiatives, identifying greater engagement as a key objective for the year ahead.
