<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A court has tossed out broad police powers allowing protesters to be moved away from places of worship after complaints of overreach and stifled freedoms.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-governments-draft-laws-in-antisemitism-crackdown-face-criticism/1b014554-c056-42d5-90c5-647c660cbcbe" rel="" target="_blank" title="The anti-protest laws"><span>The anti-protest laws</span></a><span> were swiftly implemented in February after a spate of anti-Semitic acts across Sydney and Melbourne, including graffiti, arson attacks and threats of personal violence.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But progressive voices claimed the new powers, which allow police to move on protesters who are deemed to be near places of worship, were unconstitutional and too broad.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/israel-hamas-peace-deal-donald-trump-legacy-former-israel-ambassador-dave-sharma-interview/f6dbdf8b-ff4d-4ee7-b773-8a8da49292ba" rel="" target="_blank" title="Trump secured peace deal through 'force', says former ambassador to Israel"><strong><span>Trump secured peace deal through 'force', says former ambassador to Israel</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/sydney-weather-hottest-october-on-record-could-happen/54f06329-d148-4eae-99a5-a5c30a1b1d1d" target="_blank"><strong><span>Aussie city set to shatter blistering 37-year heat record</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The lack of clarity around the reach of the legislation or the definition of nearness meant it wasn't fit for purpose and would have a chilling effect on protesting in NSW, pro-Palestine activist Josh Lees argued before the state's supreme court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice Anna Mitchelmore today sided with the activist, finding the laws wrongly burdened people's freedom of communication and were invalid.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-supreme-court-tossed-out-police-powers-to-move-protesters-from-places-of-worship/7d5f780f-b083-43d6-9354-2fed79f6a640" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She rejected the argument by NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton SC that the laws were confined to protecting people being harassed by disruptive protesters when entering or leaving a place of worship.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The police powers had an "obvious and legitimate purpose" after being introduced in response to threats and attacks at places of worship around the country, he argued.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lee's legal team contended the laws were discriminatory because they expressly target certain types of political speech in a way that inevitably favoured some viewpoints over others.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/household-stress-over-1-million-households-now-experiencing-cost-of-living-crisis/58a49c4d-6c2a-4f80-a049-5a4b901d4d73" target="_blank"><strong><span>More than a million households at critical stress point</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That was upheld by the judge, who swept aside Sexton's contention that the validity of the laws wasn't affected by the fact there were exemptions for union rallies or for people in charge of places of worship to permit protests.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When implementing the laws in February, Premier Chris Minns was warned the laws would be problematic when many town squares had a church, including outside the Supreme Court itself.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Labor instead listened to concerns from peak Jewish groups after rallies went past the Great Synagogue in Sydney's centre.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley at the time said the boosted police powers would ensure people could practice their beliefs in safety.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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