Case filed against a person for impersonating a lawyer

The Bar Council of the Maldives has filed a case against a man accused of impersonating a lawyer by using the name and logo of the Judicial Administration and the Supreme Court.

In a statement, the Bar Council revealed that the case emerged after Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) requested verification of a lawyer's license for an individual identified as Fathimath Thooba Abdullah, Haveyli, L. Fonadhoo. Upon investigation, it was confirmed that Thooba had never been licensed to practice law by the Bar Council.

The document presented as a license to practice law had been falsified using the name of the Judicial Administration and the logo of the Supreme Court. It was also formatted to resemble an official license. The signature on the document was found not to belong to any Supreme Court judge serving on the date it was issued.

The Bar Council emphasized that, under the Legal Profession Act, only the Bar Council—established on June 27, 2019—has the authority to grant licenses to practice law in the Maldives. Thooba’s name does not appear in the Bar Council’s official register of licensed lawyers.

Further scrutiny revealed the forged document was dated September 20, 2020, and bore the signature of a retired Supreme Court judge, further confirming its inauthenticity.

 It strongly urged the public not to engage in such illegal acts.

The Council also reminded the public that the official list of licensed lawyers is available on its website and advised individuals to verify the credentials of anyone offering legal services.