SC rejects interim order on Media Ordinance

Kathmandu, Nov 11-The Supreme Court today refused to issue an interim order on a number of cases against the recently promulgated media ordinance that has imposed fresh curbs on the media sector.The Supreme Court said there is no ground to issue a stay order barring the government from implementing the media ordinance and taking action against Kantipur FM.

The Supreme Court today denied refused to issue interim order on a number of cases against the recently promulgated media ordinance that has imposed fresh curbs on the media sector.
A special bench comprising Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel and Justices Kedar Giri and Sarada Prasad Pandit gave the verdict.The SC has effectively, given the government go-ahead to implement the controversial ordinance. A three member special bench comprising chief justice Dilip Kumar Paudel and justices Kedar Prasad Giri and Sharada Prasad Pandit issued the order. However the bench asked to give top priority to the case.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case was filed against the media ordinance on October 21 while nine professional organisations including Nepal Bar Association (NBA), Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and Nepal University Teachers Association (NUTA) had brought a case on October 23.

Then the management of Kantipur FM, a private radio station, had filed a case against the government action FM equipments were seized in a midnight raid on October 21 carried out under the new ordinance.
Talking to reporters after the SC’s verdict, Chairman of Nepal Bar Association Sambhu Thapa said that the decision was against the people’s rights guaranteed by the constitution and warned that the SC will be responsible for the result of the verdict.