Criminal law in Maldives

The Constitution of the Maldives protects criminal-procedure guarantees, including fair public proceedings within a reasonable time, the presumption of innocence, access to legal assistance in serious criminal cases where the accused cannot pay, and protection against unlawful treatment. The Penal Code Act 9/2014 came into force on 16 July 2015 and was amended most recently in the research record by the Sixth Amendment ratified on 17 December 2024. Sharia principles also affect the Penal Code and some sanctions. The Criminal Procedure Act 12/2016 has governed criminal procedure since 2 July 2017. It covers reporting and investigation, arrest and detention, searches and seizure, questioning, evidence, prosecution choices, conditional cautioning, plea agreements and appeals. The Evidence Act 11/2022 provides the broader evidence framework. A confession or other evidence obtained unlawfully is not admissible. The Maldives Police Service, commonly called MPS, receives reports nationwide and conducts investigations, arrests and specialist policing, including cyber and traffic work. A crime can be reported through MPS reporting channels, a crime tip or the Scam Check service; 911 is the emergency number and 332 2111 is the non-emergency number. The Prosecutor General’s Office, or PGO, reviews evidence, selects and files charges, conducts prosecutions, may discontinue a case before judgment, handles appeals and checks the legality of provisional investigative measures. The usual pathway is investigation, evidence and charge review by the PGO, and proceedings before a court. The Criminal Court, also called Jinaaee Court, handles central criminal jurisdiction; the High Court and Supreme Court hear appeals or provide final review. Lethun is the official legal and judgments archive. A person arrested in the Maldives must generally be brought before a judge within 24 hours; terrorism cases can allow up to 48 hours under the applicable rules. The arrested person has rights to information about the arrest, contact with a relative, friend or lawyer before questioning, a medical examination on request, humane treatment and silence during questioning after being informed of that right. Habeas corpus provides a legal means to challenge unlawful detention. State legal aid is not automatic for every report or criminal case. The Attorney General’s Office provides legal aid under the Legal Aid Regulation and a means test, while the Constitution provides counsel in serious criminal cases for people who cannot afford it. Sanctions depend on the offence and the applicable law. They can include imprisonment, house arrest, banishment, fines and other statutory penalties. The death penalty has not been abolished in law; the research record states that it is limited in government practice to murder cases, subject to automatic appeal and Supreme Court confirmation, with presidential clemency operating within the Sharia framework. The Maldives Correctional Service manages imprisonment, rehabilitation and parole through facilities including Maafushi, Malé and Asseyri. Special legislation changes the rules for particular situations. The Drugs Act 17/2011 supports a Drug Court pathway for drug use, trafficking and dependency-related offending, subject to serious exclusions under section 36. The Sexual Offences Act 17/2014 and Domestic Violence Prevention Act 3/2012 provide specific protections and procedures. The Prevention of Terrorism Act 10/1990 creates terrorism-specific rules, including the detention exception noted above. The Road Traffic Act 5/2009 covers conduct such as ignoring signals, failing to give way, dangerous parking, speeding, using a mobile phone while driving and operating an unfit vehicle; criminal consequences depend on the conduct, injury, damage and applicable offence provision. MPS recorded 2,081 traffic-accident cases on its 2026 dashboard, representing 23.9% of the displayed reported cases, but that figure is not a general crime rate. The Juvenile Justice Act 18/2019 creates a separate child-justice system for people under 18. Children under 15 are not subject to ordinary court punishment. The system prioritizes the child’s welfare, rehabilitation, reintegration and diversion, and treats arrest or detention as a last resort for the shortest necessary period. The Juvenile Court, Department of Juvenile Justice, specialist police and child prosecutors work with probation, correctional and residential or halfway facilities. Children receive legal assistance, and the Juvenile Court’s jurisdiction begins during the investigation stage under the 2020 amendment. The Juvenile Justice Act and Criminal Procedure Act prohibit the death penalty for children. Victims can report an offence to the MPS, and the PGO is expected to support victims and witnesses during criminal proceedings. The eDhoroashi Victim, Mental Health and Victim Support service and the special sexual-offence and domestic-violence laws provide additional pathways. Compensation or restitution is not governed by one uniform rule across all cases; eligibility and deadlines depend on the offence and applicable law. Digital criminal law expanded through the Sixth Penal Code Amendment in 2024, covering conduct such as unauthorized system access, data interception, system interference, computer misuse, cyber violence, computer forgery, computer fraud or deception and copyright infringement. The MPS Cyber Crime Centre and its Digital Data and Technology function handle relevant policing. The proposed NCSA Cyber Security Act was not in force in the research record and is not a current legal basis. Access to police and prosecution services is nationwide, but travel, lawyers and procedural costs can be more difficult outside Malé because island access and resources vary. No reliable uniform fee schedule or general criminal-procedure duration was established in the research record. The MPS dashboard listed 2,387 theft cases, 1,874 drug cases, 453 assault cases, 186 sexual-offence cases and 105 robbery cases in 2026; these figures describe the displayed reports and should not be treated as a complete prevalence measure.