Court issues show cause notice to govt. regarding media ordinance

October 19, 2005
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The Supreme Court on Wednesday has issued show cause notices to various ministries and both the Houses of Parliament regarding the controversial media-related ordinance introduced by the government early this month.

After preliminary hearings on the writ petition filed by advocates Ravi Raj Bhandary and Kaher Singh Khadka, a single bench comprising Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel ordered to issue show cause notices against various ministries and the parliament.

In their public interest litigation filed at the apex court on Tuesday, advocates Bhandary and Khadka had argued that the said ordinance is against the letter and spirit of the Constitution of the kingdom of Nepal, 1990, as well as Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 and, hence, should be declared null and void.

The petitioners had made the Council of Ministers, Ministries of Information and Communications, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, House of Representatives and National Assembly as defendants.

In his verdict, CJ Poudel also ordered that the defendants be also made present during the hearings on whether an interim order needs to be issued or not, as demanded by the writ petitioners.

Next hearings will take place on October 30, this year.

His Majesty King Gyanendra promulgated the ordinance that amends provisions in half a dozen media related laws on October 9. Media organizations, press freedom groups within the country and abroad, UNESCO, India and the UK have already expressed their concerns regarding the new media law and have urged the royal government to reconsider it.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) has said it will launch nationwide protests against what it calls ‘repressive’ media law.

But the authorities said there was no need for professional journalists to be scared from the new law.