Premier Chris Minns’ insistence on pursuing unprecedented police powers to curb protests, despite pushback from within his own party, has backfired after the Supreme Court ruled the law invalid.

Pro-Palestine protesters on Thursday won a challenge against the NSW government’s laws, which gave police the power to move on protesters near any place of worship, regardless of whether the protest was aimed at the religious group.

Justice Anna Mitchelmore found the law “impermissibly burdens” the implied freedom of political expression.

Minns first flagged the laws in December last year, citing the attack on Melbourne’s Adass synagogue, which federal authorities later revealed they believed was directed by Iran , as evidence that religious rights were under threat. The police powers were par

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