KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has put an end to a rule that required online media to shut service if renewal date was missed.
The bench of Justices Dipak Kumar Karki and Sushma Lata Mathema Tuesday quashed Clause 3 of Section 6 in Online Media Operation Directive 2017 stating that it contravened with the constitution.
Clause 3 of Section 6 of the Directive concerns suspension of benefits, and states, “Any online media that is not renewed within the limitation prescribed in the Directives or is informed of being put in the list of noncompliance by the Press Council for not following the journalists code of conduct shall not be entitled to any kind of benefits given on behalf of the Government of Nepal.”
Lilanath Ghimire and Bishnu Kumar Giri ‘Nischal’ had filed a writ at the Supreme Court requesting to discard the clause, saying it violated Article 19 of the Constitution of Nepal 2015.
The verdict was announced in favor of the petitioners. With this, the hassle to renew online media has ended.
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