Court to hear cases against the media ordinance on sunday

Kathmandu Nov 5-The Supreme Court on Sunday is to continue hearing a number of cases filed against the new media law.A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel, Kedar Giri and Sarada Prasad Pandit decided to postpone the hearing considering the Tihar holidays.

The court is expected to decide whether to issue an interim order asking the government not to implement the new law as demanded by the petitioners.

In previous hearing, former Bar Association President Hari Har Dahal, former Attorney General Badri Bahadur Karki and advocates Tika Ram Bhattarai, Yagya Murti Banjade and Gopal Siwakoti Chintan pleaded on behalf of the petitioners. They presented arguments in favour of three separate writ petitions demanding an interim order halting the implementation of the ‘unconstitutional’ media ordinance.

During the hearing, lawyers said the government’s new ordinance contradicts the 1990 Constitution.
Pleading on behalf of the petitioners, lawyers accused the government of curbing the fundamental rights of the people guaranteed by the Constitution.

Nine professional organizations, including the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), and two lawyers had filed separate petitions challenging the media ordinance issued early this month.