This article was originally published in the National Herald, written by Ashlin Mathew. You can access the full article here.
Over the years, numerous Supreme Court judgments have focused on the regulated use of public spaces for protests. These rulings have consistently upheld the necessity of police permissions as a reasonable restriction on protests, often favouring police consultations while neglecting the State’s duty to facilitate these rights, as noted in a report by Part III Action Research and Resource Centre. In contrast, high courts have generally upheld the right to protest, while addressing concerns related to law and order.
The report, titled ‘Licence to Protest: Examining the Role of Constitutional Courts in Upholding the Right to Protest’, was released on Friday by a panel that includes retired Supreme Court judge Madan B. Lokur, former Odisha High Court chief justice Dr S. Muralidhar, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, National Alliance of People’s Movements convenor Meera Sanghamitra, and North-East Support Centre and Helpline general-secretary Dr Alana Golmei.
Read the full article here.