Bar Council of the Maldives held the first Bar Exams in the country today.

The exam was held in Male' City and Addu City with a total of 176 candidates.

According to the Legal Profession Act, lawyers who practice in Maldivian courts will receive their license after having passed the exams. State prosecutors and legal officers working in government offices are exempt from this requirement.

The first bar exam was initially set to be held in 2019, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, several delays were seen before the exam was eventually held. During this period, the Bar Council had granted temporary licenses to 283 legal professionals.

An amendment to the act also dictates that those who received temporary licenses would not need to sit the exam. Furthermore, licenses need to be arranged within 21 days of sitting the exam.

There are four main parts to the Bar Exam: Maldivian Legal System, Criminal Procedure, Civil Procedure, Professional Ethics, and Law Drafting.

The Bar Exam is one of the two basic requirements to obtain a law license in the Maldives. In addition to the exam, a training program needs to be completed.