The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy, carried out a mission to Maldives from 25 February to 1 March 2007. The Government had invited him in order to assist the authorities in the implementation of the Road Map towards a Reform Agenda adopted by the President in March 2006, in particular concerning constitutional and legal reforms aimed at establishing an independent judiciary and a real separation of powers. The Special Rapporteur held detailed discussions with government and judicial officials and met freely with a variety of other interlocutors, who provided him with an insight into the current issues facing the judiciary and the legal profession in Maldives; he also interviewed detainees in the Maafushi prison. Based on those discussions, the present report aims to provide an overview of the judicial system of Maldives and the challenges currently facing the main actors in the administration of justice. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government and the Parliament of Maldives should ensure that the new constitutional and legal framework is in line with international human rights instruments, as well as with the following basic principles on the independence of the judicial system: the Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, the Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors and the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct.