With the ratification of the 2008 Constitution, the Maldives made remarkable reforms to its constitutional framework towards a more vibrant democratic governance. With the separation of the executive, legislative and judicial arm of the state allowed the functioning of an independent judiciary and paved way for the courts of law to be a medium to hold the public authorities accountable before the law.

While the Maldives does not yet have a codified law governing judicial review of public authorities and their actions, the principles of transparency, fairness and natural justice have nonetheless been adopted by the courts of law in respect to administrative decision making.

The Maldives constitution guarantees that any person may contest the legality of an administrative decision that affects him or her in a detrimental to any of his or her constitutional rights. On a broader context, the number of public interest litigation has also seen a rise, particularly those which relates to the government and administration.