Meghalaya High Court quashes orders restricting church religious rites

The Meghalaya High Court has quashed orders issued by the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner that restricted religious rites and pastoral care at the Mawkhar Presbyterian Church. The court ruled that the local administration exceeded its authority by attempting to intervene in matters of ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

While acknowledging existing discord and the administration's duty to maintain public order, the court held that the executive cannot use preventive powers to adjudicate private or religious disputes. Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew noted that the Deputy Commissioner could not interpret the church's constitution to determine the rights of its ministers, as such matters fall within the denomination's own internal structure.