Under the Australian Professional Opportunities (APO) of Australia Awards, Jeremy Gans, Professor at Melbourne Law School, visited the Maldives from 13th July 2025 to 25th July 2025 for consultancy and assistance in developing a Practitioners’ Guide on the Evidence Act of Maldives.
During his visit, he was stationed at the National College of Policing and Law Enforcement (NCPLE) in Addu, where he worked with the Prosecutor General’s Academy, Maldives Police Service, and the Attorney General’s Office in developing the Practitioners’ Guide.
Prior to his visit, Professor Gans provided valuable insight in developing the initial draft chapters of the Guide and offered guidance to the Working Group, consisting of Prosecutors, State Attorneys, and Police Officers, in critically reading and analyzing the provisions of the Evidence Act. During the drafting sessions at NCPLE, intensive sessions were held with the Working Group. High-level engagement was seen during these sessions with the participation of the Counsel General of the Attorney General’s Office and Senior Investigation Officers of the Maldives Police Service.
Professor Gans has provided comprehensive feedback on the draft Guide, which resulted in the development of its first finalized version.
The Practitioners’ Guide is designed to serve as a resource that interprets the provisions of the Evidence Act, clarifies procedural requirements, and offers best practices for implementation. It aims to support a more consistent understanding of the Act among prosecutors, investigators, defense lawyers, and other legal practitioners. The Guide will also support the effective implementation of the Evidence Act and help ensure its objectives are fully realized in practice.
In his role as the Honorary Advisor to the Prosecutor General’s Academy, the guidance and consultancy of Professor Gans will assist in finalizing the publication of the Practitioner’s Guide in September 2025.
During this mission, Professor Gans also engaged in discussions with magistrates and legal officers of the Magistrate Courts of Addu City, where issues in implementing the Evidence Act and areas where a Practitioners’ Guide could prove useful were highlighted. During these discussions, proposals for reform were also addressed.
Recommendations by Professor Gans have been instrumental in developing reform proposals regarding the Evidence Act. The Government is currently working on revising the Evidence Act, and further dialogue is planned with stakeholders to discuss the proposals for reform in the coming weeks.
The visit by Professor Gans concluded in Malé with a full-day seminar titled “Navigating the Evidence Act”where he spoke extensively on the history, comparatives, and lessons for the Maldives in implementing the Act. During the seminar, he interacted with the private bar and the judiciary.
The Prosecutor General’s Academy wishes to acknowledge the generous assistance provided by the Australian Government through the Australia Awards Program and the guidance received from the Australian High Commission in successfully implementing this program. We also wish to acknowledge the NCPLE for being generous hosts and our partner agencies for their continued support.
We are proud to continue working with partner agencies in fully implementing the outcomes of this project and look forward to further engagement with the Australia Awards and the Australian High Commission in implementing projects that generate meaningful impact on the Maldives, strengthen the bond between Australia and the Maldives, and lead to greater exchange of ideas in the region.
