SC refuses to issue interim order on Media Ordinance (3:35 p.m.)
The Supreme Court on Friday has refused to issue an interim order against the recently promulgated media ordinance that has imposed fresh curbs on the country's media.
A special bench comprising Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel and Justices Kedar Giri and Sharada Prasad Pandit gave the verdict. However, the bench asked to give top priority to the case.
The court verdict came in response to three separate petitions filed against the media ordinance introduced by the government last month. A group of nine professional organisations including Nepal Bar Association (NBA), Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and Nepal University Teachers Association (NUTA) had filed a joint writ petition at the apex court demanding that the court declare the ordinance null and void "as it was in contravention with the country's constitution."
Binod Gyawali, managing director of Kantipur FM, a private radio station, had filed a separate case against the government's action of seizing its communications around midnight on October 21 at gun point.
Interestingly, the apex court kept mum on the issue and did not ask the government to return the property of a private sector company as demanded by the Kantipur F. M.
Hundreds of people-- including lawyers, journalists and professionals-- awaiting to hear the verdict at the Supreme Court premises were shocked upon hearing about the verdict of the apex court.
Talking to reporters after the SC’s verdict, chairman of Nepal Bar Association, Shambhu Thapa, said the decision was against the people’s rights guaranteed by the country's constitution. He warned that the SC will be responsible for adverse reactions that could appear in response to the court verdict.
Introduced by the government before the weeklong vacation of Dashain festival, the new media ordinance bars criticism of the king and royal family members. It also prohibits broadcast of news and news-related programmes over the F. M. radio stations.
The ordinance has also raised penalty to newspaper editors and publishers by five times and has the provision to jail a journalist for up to two years on defamation cases. nepalnews.com by/pb Nov 10 05
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