Zibwabwe’s High Court on Wednesday struck down a ban on protests that had been issued by the police. The two-week ban [order, PDF] was issued by police [Reuters report] last week after some of the worst public violence in two decades. The court ultimately ruled that the order was invalid as it was given without any authority and violated the constitution. The police had announced [AP report] last Thursday that they were banning demonstrations within the capital for the next two weeks. This was after numerous protesters were injured during and the day before a planned protest by an opposition group to the government. The notice cited a lack of manpower to prevent public disorder. Protests had broken out on almost a daily basis [Times LIVE report] due to a poor economy and what many of the opposition view as a corrupt government led by President Robert Mugabe. The police had informed the public that anyone taking part in protests during the ban could face a year of imprisonment.

The Zimbabwe government has faced criticism and legal action in the past. In September 2013 the high court ordered the release [JURIST report] of 21 activist members of the opposition party that had been detained for over two years. The following month, Zimbabwe’s highest court criticized [JURIST report] state prosecutors who sought to take legal action against people who insulted Mugabe. In November 2013 a Zimbabwean magistrate acquitted [JURIST report] a human rights lawyer who was charged with obstructing justice and being unruly to police officers.