The Supreme Court on Monday decided to continue its interim order against the government’s decision to ban public protests at key locations, including the Maitighar Mandala, in the Capital. A division bench of Justices Om Prakash Mishra and Kedar Prasad Chalise upheld the July 6 order.

A single bench of Justice Ishwor Khatiwada had served a show-cause notice to the government on its

decision to ban peaceful public rallies while staying

the ban. Monday’s order has rendered the protest ban ineffective until final verdict. The court stated that the prohibitory order of the District Administration Office goes against the Local Administration Act.

“The Local Administration Act says that such an order shall not be for more than two months at one time,” the bench stated. “Since the district administration’s order is against the Act, the court has decided to continue the interim order.”

Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi had filed a writ petition on July 5 seeking to stay the government’s decision to ban public rallies at places in the Capital. Tripathi argued that restricting people from staging peaceful protests violates their freedom of expression. Police had detained many protesters who defied the prohibition.

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa on June 29 declared Maitighar Mandala as a protest-free zone effective from July 15, citing the Kathmandu District Security Committee’s April 13 decision.