A coalition of civil society organizations has challenged a judicial review petition on Bali’s ban on single-use plastics, which has been accused of violating other environmental regulations.

Andri Gunawan, an environmental law expert from the University of Indonesia and a member of the coalition, said the group had filed an amicus curiae — a brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case — to challenge the judicial review petition filed by plastics and recycler associations against regional regulations banning single-use plastics.

“Amicus curiae literally means ‘friend of the court’. Because we are not directly implicated in these cases, we are offering consideration to the court in support of the regulations,” he said in a press conference on Monday.

The Indonesian Plastic Recycling Association (ADUPI) has filed with the Supreme Court a judicial review petition against Bali’s gubernatorial regulation that bans single-use plastics.

A similar regulation banning single-use plastics issued by the mayor of Bogor municipality in West Java has also been challenged by the Indonesian Olefin, Aromatic and Plastic Industry Association (Inaplas).

Read moreIndonesian Group Backs Up Plastic Bans Amid Judicial Review