Supreme Court Upholds Right to Peaceful Protest, Mulls New Guidelines

The Supreme Court on July 27, 2026, affirmed that peaceful protest is a constitutionally guaranteed right and indicated it may frame uniform guidelines to regulate police conduct during demonstrations.

A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant will hear petitions on July 28, 2026, regarding police excesses during the July 20 Parliament march and alleged firing in Bihar's Siwan on July 25.

The court's intervention follows the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25 and the introduction of the Public Examinations Amendment Bill, 2026, which proposes fines up to ₹50 lakh.