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Controversial laws to restrict protests in New South Wales following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack have been struck down by the state's top court. The Court of Appeal accepted arguments by protest groups that the expanded police powers were unconstitutional.

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00:02Their right to protest, reaffirmed by the state's highest court, the victors couldn't
00:06resist another chance to rally.
00:08Free Palestine!
00:12I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that this is one of the most important wins
00:16for civil liberties in our nation's history.
00:19They challenged a law that gave police the power to restrict public assemblies in certain
00:23areas. Extended four times, it remained in force during protests on Australia Day and
00:28the Israeli presidential visit. Plaintiffs argued the law infringed the implied right to freedom
00:33of political communication under Australia's constitution. The Court of Appeal agreed finding
00:38the law's purpose was illegitimate. A terrorist act may prompt particularly acute feelings of
00:44anxiety and tension within the community, but that does not make it any more constitutionally
00:48permissible to quell all public assemblies in a particular area in the name of preserving
00:53social cohesion.
00:54Chris Minns and the entire New South Wales cabinet was warned by no less than 10 MPs
01:02in the parliament that night the laws were being rushed through.
01:05The Premier says the result is disappointing, but the government stands by its decision.
01:10This was in the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack our country has seen, in which 15 innocent
01:15lives were lost.
01:16He needs to resign. Chris Minns now has to face up to what has happened and he must resign.
01:21There were hushed cheers and hugs inside the courtroom as the orders were read out. It's not the
01:26government's first slap down by the Court of Appeal. Six months ago it struck down a law
01:31restricting protests near places of worship for essentially the same reason.
01:35Thank God we have the Supreme Court of New South Wales. We still have an independent judiciary.
01:43The courts once again reining in the parliament.
01:46The Supreme Court of Congress is off to that state, surrender to Ukraine.
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