LHR's David Cote reacts to op Fiela application struck of court roll

The High Court in Pretoria has struck the application by Lawyers for Human Rights against Operation Fiela from the court roll. Judge Jan Hiemstra has ruled that LHR should carry the costs. The group was seeking a court order declaring government's Operation Fiela unlawful and unconstitutional. Fiela is a national operation by the police, the SANDF, the army and Home Affairs officials that often involves searching of premises. LHR lawyer Paul Kennedy argued that the operation was being conducted without search warrants. But the state argued successfully that the application wasn't urgent and that it should be struck off the court's roll.